Today we started our long trip home. Everyone is in good health and will definitely miss this wonderful place.
Today: Ruaha to Iringa.
Monday: Iringa to Dar Es Salaam
Tuesday & Wednesday: Dar es Salaam to Minneapolis.
Now we can plan for the next trip ... :).
See you all soon. I hope you enjoyed the blog.
-Dave
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday - Ruaha
Saturday was a full day safari in Ruaha National Park. We started the day watching the sunrise and full or almost full moon set. After a quick breakfast we hoped into our land rovers and were off to Ruaha. We took a different route in Ruaha today. We started out in a dry river bed and saw a family of elephants soon after we entered the park. As we continued down the dry river, we saw a dead giraffe. One of our guides thinks it was killed by natural causes, because it still was fully intact. Just past the dead giraffe was a female lion resting in the shade. As we watched, she left her shaded perch and headed over to the dead giraffe. Apparently, when a predator takes down an animal, it (or they) begin eating right away and guard it very well - they want to enjoy the spoils of their work. According to our guide, in this case, since it died of natural causes, the female lion saw the dead giraffe, but was very cautious in approaching it, because she didn't want to anger whomever had killed it. When she got to the giraffe, she went to the head first and smelled and listened (too make sure it was dead?) and the proceeded out of our view to the rump and the belly our guide guesses to start eating... It was a really amazing this to witness - even better that we couldn't see the blood once the eating began.
We spent the entire day traveling through Ruaha and saw many different animals, including the lesser kudu. It looks a lot like a slightly larger impala, except the horns are twisted differently. Apparently it is very rare as well. According to our guide, Ruaha Park is where it is because it is at the southern end of the range of the lesser kudu and at the norther edge of the range of the greater kudu, thereby capturing both within the park. Our guide said there are over 8 types of antelopes (impalas, kudus, etc.) within the park.
It was an incredible day. As we were leaving the park, we came across a family of elephants very near the park headquarters buildings. The family seemed to be lead by a huge male elephant with only one tusk. I like to think he lost it in a fight, but our guide though it more likely that he lost it in a tree while he was trying to knock it down for food. Below is a picture of the giant elephant.
We left the park and made it back to the camp in time to watch the sunset at Sunset Mountain resort - definitely a worthwhile experience.
We spent the entire day traveling through Ruaha and saw many different animals, including the lesser kudu. It looks a lot like a slightly larger impala, except the horns are twisted differently. Apparently it is very rare as well. According to our guide, Ruaha Park is where it is because it is at the southern end of the range of the lesser kudu and at the norther edge of the range of the greater kudu, thereby capturing both within the park. Our guide said there are over 8 types of antelopes (impalas, kudus, etc.) within the park.
It was an incredible day. As we were leaving the park, we came across a family of elephants very near the park headquarters buildings. The family seemed to be lead by a huge male elephant with only one tusk. I like to think he lost it in a fight, but our guide though it more likely that he lost it in a tree while he was trying to knock it down for food. Below is a picture of the giant elephant.
We left the park and made it back to the camp in time to watch the sunset at Sunset Mountain resort - definitely a worthwhile experience.
Friday - To Ruaha!
We left Friday morning for Ruaha National Park. Because we were staying at a resort outside the Park, we had to trade our big bus in for three Land Rovers. So, we were our own little caravan driving through Iringa and onto the road to Ruaha. We got to the Sunset Mountain Resort just in time for lunch. All meals were served in an open air dinning room. Below is a picture of the dining room.
The resort is built on a hill. The dining room is the first building you come to as you climb the hill. All of the rooms are further up the hill. Not the greatest layout for Mary Lou and her somewhat new hip, but she took her time and made it with no complaints.
Attached to the dining room was a wonderful balcony looking out on the savanna and on to Ruaha National Park. We spent mornings and evenings enjoying the wonderful view from the balcony (see below).
After a quick lunch, we hoped back into our land rovers and headed for Ruaha and an afternoon safari. The entrance to Ruaha was about 30 minutes from our resort. The entrance is at a crossing of the Ruaha River, the park's namesake, that is filled with sharp rocks and small waterfalls - a beautiful introduction to the park. As Jack and Judy and our guides were paying the entrance fee, the others in the group were able to spot a couple of hippos, some crocodiles, and a pair of eagles. Let the picture taking begin!
We entered the park and traveled down river in search of game. For the first 1/2 hour or so, we saw one giraffe. I was worried, thinking we've only got this safari and tomorrow, where are the animals. Turns out you have to drive though an empty (or almost empty) area to get to the good part with all the animals. The sightings started out with a solo giraffe here, a warthog there, another solo giraffe, etc.
Then we went down by the river. We were just in time to see an entire herd of water buffalo come down to the river to drink - something they do only twice a day. There were easily over 200 water buffalo in the heard! An amazing site. The further down the river we went, the more animals we saw: zebra, impala, elephants, monkeys, baboons, greater kudu, etc., etc. We even saw a leopard - very rare! By then end of the day, the only big animal we hadn't see was a lion, I was disappointed, but not worried - we had another day. And then, on the way out, we took a small detour and found 8 lions, two lion couples and one lion with three lady lions (mom and kids or harem, your guess is as good as mine). It was an amazing site - what a way to finish day 1 of the safari. We left Ruaha as the sun was setting behind us and headed for our camp.
Oh, the bad news (or maybe good news for those of you reading in the US) is that I switched cameras for the safari and the other camera is harder to pull pictures off of for blog posts. Therefore, there will only be a couple of pictures from the safari on the blog. But, I took over 200 pictures in 1 1/2 days, so all you have to do is ask when I get home :).
The resort is built on a hill. The dining room is the first building you come to as you climb the hill. All of the rooms are further up the hill. Not the greatest layout for Mary Lou and her somewhat new hip, but she took her time and made it with no complaints.Attached to the dining room was a wonderful balcony looking out on the savanna and on to Ruaha National Park. We spent mornings and evenings enjoying the wonderful view from the balcony (see below).
After a quick lunch, we hoped back into our land rovers and headed for Ruaha and an afternoon safari. The entrance to Ruaha was about 30 minutes from our resort. The entrance is at a crossing of the Ruaha River, the park's namesake, that is filled with sharp rocks and small waterfalls - a beautiful introduction to the park. As Jack and Judy and our guides were paying the entrance fee, the others in the group were able to spot a couple of hippos, some crocodiles, and a pair of eagles. Let the picture taking begin!
We entered the park and traveled down river in search of game. For the first 1/2 hour or so, we saw one giraffe. I was worried, thinking we've only got this safari and tomorrow, where are the animals. Turns out you have to drive though an empty (or almost empty) area to get to the good part with all the animals. The sightings started out with a solo giraffe here, a warthog there, another solo giraffe, etc.
Then we went down by the river. We were just in time to see an entire herd of water buffalo come down to the river to drink - something they do only twice a day. There were easily over 200 water buffalo in the heard! An amazing site. The further down the river we went, the more animals we saw: zebra, impala, elephants, monkeys, baboons, greater kudu, etc., etc. We even saw a leopard - very rare! By then end of the day, the only big animal we hadn't see was a lion, I was disappointed, but not worried - we had another day. And then, on the way out, we took a small detour and found 8 lions, two lion couples and one lion with three lady lions (mom and kids or harem, your guess is as good as mine). It was an amazing site - what a way to finish day 1 of the safari. We left Ruaha as the sun was setting behind us and headed for our camp.Oh, the bad news (or maybe good news for those of you reading in the US) is that I switched cameras for the safari and the other camera is harder to pull pictures off of for blog posts. Therefore, there will only be a couple of pictures from the safari on the blog. But, I took over 200 pictures in 1 1/2 days, so all you have to do is ask when I get home :).
Thursday the 17th in Iringa
We started today by visiting Tumaine University, the Lutheran sponsored University in Iringa. As I understand it, the entire University was built by donations from Lutheran churches in the Twin Cities area. It was an incredible campus. The head of the University was in a meeting, so one of his assistants gave us a tour. They have a building for teaching Information Technology and other science related classes, including basic robotics. The picture below is of the first building constructed on the campus. It has four wings, including numerous class rooms, a small grocery store and an ATM. 
They are currently adding on to their library. The current library has a computer lab with over 20 computers. Unlike Pommern Secondary School, most of these computers appeared to be in working order. They also have numerous dorms, split by gender. Each dorm is named after the sponsor church that raised the money to build it. If memory serves, the enrollment at Tumaine is about 2,700 students. Jack, Judy and Kay said that the enrollment is almost double what it was two years ago when they visited. Amazing growth!
After the University, we went to visit the house of Kiponda, the local minister who accompanied us to Magome to act as translator and liaison between our group and the local church. He showed us his home, introduced us to his wife and served us a snack of fried bananas and cookies.
Kiponda then joined us as we continued on to Humara Orphanange. This orphanage is located on the outskirts of town and houses just under 40 children that come from homes where both parents have died or there has been extreme neglect or, some of the children were taken off the street. Children at the Humara Orphanage range from 5 to 18 years old. We met with the assistant head mistress and all of the children in a gathering hall. We were given a brief talk on the history of the orphanage and who they help. The, we played some games with the children. First Sandy taught us all a group game and then Jack passed out some more of the small red balls we brought along and played a short partner game. After that, we got out some baloons and had some fun with the kids, ending in all kinds of popping ballons. Below is a picture of us playing with the kids.
After a short tour of the facility (they raise cows for the milk and for sale to make money), we met with the headmistress who had been in a meeting. I was very impressed with her. She has been headmistress of the orphanage for many years - I don't think I could do her job for 1 week much less for many years. To the right is a picture of the headmistress and Jack.
They are currently adding on to their library. The current library has a computer lab with over 20 computers. Unlike Pommern Secondary School, most of these computers appeared to be in working order. They also have numerous dorms, split by gender. Each dorm is named after the sponsor church that raised the money to build it. If memory serves, the enrollment at Tumaine is about 2,700 students. Jack, Judy and Kay said that the enrollment is almost double what it was two years ago when they visited. Amazing growth!After the University, we went to visit the house of Kiponda, the local minister who accompanied us to Magome to act as translator and liaison between our group and the local church. He showed us his home, introduced us to his wife and served us a snack of fried bananas and cookies.
Kiponda then joined us as we continued on to Humara Orphanange. This orphanage is located on the outskirts of town and houses just under 40 children that come from homes where both parents have died or there has been extreme neglect or, some of the children were taken off the street. Children at the Humara Orphanage range from 5 to 18 years old. We met with the assistant head mistress and all of the children in a gathering hall. We were given a brief talk on the history of the orphanage and who they help. The, we played some games with the children. First Sandy taught us all a group game and then Jack passed out some more of the small red balls we brought along and played a short partner game. After that, we got out some baloons and had some fun with the kids, ending in all kinds of popping ballons. Below is a picture of us playing with the kids.
After a short tour of the facility (they raise cows for the milk and for sale to make money), we met with the headmistress who had been in a meeting. I was very impressed with her. She has been headmistress of the orphanage for many years - I don't think I could do her job for 1 week much less for many years. To the right is a picture of the headmistress and Jack.
Wednesday the 16th in Iringa
We started the day by trying to visit the Bishop at the Iringa Synod office. Unfortunately, the Bishop was out of town on business so his deputy greeted us and talked in detail about the many different avenues that the Lutheran Church is taking in and around Iringa to help the local people. Everything from Hospitals and Schools to a fledgling micro-loan program. It is amazing how much the Lutheran Church, especially from the Twin Cities area, has touched the Iringa area. It is also amazing how much has been done and how much more there is to do.
After our visit to the Bishop's office, we left Iringa and headed for the small town of Ilula. The Lutheran Church has built a hospital in Ilula. Below is a map of the hospital area.
The building are color coded with red roofed building under construction and green roofed building still in the planning stages/needing funding. We brought a small amount of medical supplies to the hospital - those we felt would not be used or needed in Magome. They were very appreciative of the supplies.
When we visited, a group from an international eye clinic were visiting and performing cataract surgery on as many people as they could. The hospital had an amazing surgical suite (currently being used for the various eye surgeries) and had a men's and women's ward for recovery. In our tour of the hospital, we walked through the current birthing and women's health building. We learned that a new mom with a normal birth stays in the hospital for up to 3 days and a c-section mom stays for a week or more. Also, the cost of a c-section is $60,000 Tanzanian Shillings (about $60.00 US).
After the Ilula Hospital, we went to the Isimila Archaeological Site. It is the site of a stone age civilization. They have numerous examples of stone tools: knifes, clubs, stones for hurling, grinding stones, etc. In one area, it is estimated that over 75% of the visible stones are tool stones from the ancient civilization. Our guide told us that Isimila has the most stone tools of any site in Africa.
After seeing the Archaeological Site, the tour continues up a winding patch until you reach the entrance of the Pillars - a canyon carved by an ancient stream leaving amazing pillars. Below is a picture of the canyon. I would estimate the pillars are 80-100 feet tall.
The hiking was easy, so everyone had a good time in the canyon, but Kay and Dave had an especially good time. They both kept comparing the Pillars Canyon to canyon trip to the SW United States. This trip was a worthy detour for any future trips to the Iringa area.
After Isimila, we returned to Iringa and had dinner at Shooters, a pool hall/restaurant with only one pool table. The dinner was very good and afterwards, those of us in the know taught the others how to hang spoons on their nose. By the end of the night, everyone in the group, including our four guests from Magome, had successfully hung a spoon.
After our visit to the Bishop's office, we left Iringa and headed for the small town of Ilula. The Lutheran Church has built a hospital in Ilula. Below is a map of the hospital area.
The building are color coded with red roofed building under construction and green roofed building still in the planning stages/needing funding. We brought a small amount of medical supplies to the hospital - those we felt would not be used or needed in Magome. They were very appreciative of the supplies.When we visited, a group from an international eye clinic were visiting and performing cataract surgery on as many people as they could. The hospital had an amazing surgical suite (currently being used for the various eye surgeries) and had a men's and women's ward for recovery. In our tour of the hospital, we walked through the current birthing and women's health building. We learned that a new mom with a normal birth stays in the hospital for up to 3 days and a c-section mom stays for a week or more. Also, the cost of a c-section is $60,000 Tanzanian Shillings (about $60.00 US).
After the Ilula Hospital, we went to the Isimila Archaeological Site. It is the site of a stone age civilization. They have numerous examples of stone tools: knifes, clubs, stones for hurling, grinding stones, etc. In one area, it is estimated that over 75% of the visible stones are tool stones from the ancient civilization. Our guide told us that Isimila has the most stone tools of any site in Africa.
After seeing the Archaeological Site, the tour continues up a winding patch until you reach the entrance of the Pillars - a canyon carved by an ancient stream leaving amazing pillars. Below is a picture of the canyon. I would estimate the pillars are 80-100 feet tall.
The hiking was easy, so everyone had a good time in the canyon, but Kay and Dave had an especially good time. They both kept comparing the Pillars Canyon to canyon trip to the SW United States. This trip was a worthy detour for any future trips to the Iringa area.After Isimila, we returned to Iringa and had dinner at Shooters, a pool hall/restaurant with only one pool table. The dinner was very good and afterwards, those of us in the know taught the others how to hang spoons on their nose. By the end of the night, everyone in the group, including our four guests from Magome, had successfully hung a spoon.
Magome Day 4
Our last day in Magome :(. In the morning, J.R. and Dave finished the work on the solar lights. Everything should be running at sunset! While they were working hard, Mary Lou sat with the cooking ladies and journaled - with all the action she had fallen behind. The rest of the Salem crew gathered up a bunch more school supplies and visited the Magome primary school (sorry, no pictures, I was work on the solar lights - others have pictures, but their out shopping right now). The soccer game two days ago was played at the primary school, so we had been there before, but now everyone got to meet teachers and students. Again, we presented them with a big bag of school supplies: pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, notebooks, calculators, etc. We even brought a couple of whistles for the teachers to help them keep order...
After the gang returned from the primary school, there was just enough
time for Sandy and others to set up the Dispensary in the pastor's office building. Then, it was time to say goodbye to most of the people of Magome. We dressed in the wonderful shirts/wraps we had been given as gifts and headed to church to say goodbye. A picture of Jack in full garb is to the right. There was even more singing and dancing (they do that a lot here :) ). The pastor read a letter of thanks to everyone and then we were each presented with letter an individual letter - written in english! Afterwards, we gathered on the bus with the pastor and three other people from Magome and headed out of town.
The pastor and three other people of Magome were coming with us to Iringa and then on safari with us.
After we left Magome, we headed to Pommern Secondary School. There is one student sponsored by Salem at Pommern, so we brought another gift package for her. School had just started two days ago, so at first, they thought the student had not yet returned to school (fairly common). However, we did find her eventually and I believe Jack took a picture of her as well for her sponsors.
At Pommern, we were greated by the assistant headmaster and given a short tour. They have a computer lab with 17 computers (all laptops) powered by solar power. Unfortunately, the power source is not good on the computers, so they only have 3 working computers - the rest have bad screens or other problems. Pommern was definitely a larger school than Lutangilo. I think the total student count was 800-900 students. During our tour, all the students gathered at the steps of the headmaster's office. We returned there and met the headmaster and there was another brief welcome and hello ceremony. We are all learning to say "My name is" is Swahili. Pronunciation is a hurdle, but we should have it figured out, just in time to leave. Below is a picture of the students of Pommern, or at least as many as I could fit on camera.
After Pommern, we headed back to Iringa. To pass the time, Sandy taught the back of the bus the game of cows - be the first to see a cow or herd of cows, yell "Cows!" and get one point. There are more rules, but that is the basics. Due to a lack of cows, additional points were allowed for other more common Tanzania things during the trip. By the end of the drive, most of the bus was involved in the game ... an excellent way to pass the time on a road trip. We got back to Iringa just as the sun was setting.
After the gang returned from the primary school, there was just enough
time for Sandy and others to set up the Dispensary in the pastor's office building. Then, it was time to say goodbye to most of the people of Magome. We dressed in the wonderful shirts/wraps we had been given as gifts and headed to church to say goodbye. A picture of Jack in full garb is to the right. There was even more singing and dancing (they do that a lot here :) ). The pastor read a letter of thanks to everyone and then we were each presented with letter an individual letter - written in english! Afterwards, we gathered on the bus with the pastor and three other people from Magome and headed out of town.The pastor and three other people of Magome were coming with us to Iringa and then on safari with us.
After we left Magome, we headed to Pommern Secondary School. There is one student sponsored by Salem at Pommern, so we brought another gift package for her. School had just started two days ago, so at first, they thought the student had not yet returned to school (fairly common). However, we did find her eventually and I believe Jack took a picture of her as well for her sponsors.
At Pommern, we were greated by the assistant headmaster and given a short tour. They have a computer lab with 17 computers (all laptops) powered by solar power. Unfortunately, the power source is not good on the computers, so they only have 3 working computers - the rest have bad screens or other problems. Pommern was definitely a larger school than Lutangilo. I think the total student count was 800-900 students. During our tour, all the students gathered at the steps of the headmaster's office. We returned there and met the headmaster and there was another brief welcome and hello ceremony. We are all learning to say "My name is" is Swahili. Pronunciation is a hurdle, but we should have it figured out, just in time to leave. Below is a picture of the students of Pommern, or at least as many as I could fit on camera.
After Pommern, we headed back to Iringa. To pass the time, Sandy taught the back of the bus the game of cows - be the first to see a cow or herd of cows, yell "Cows!" and get one point. There are more rules, but that is the basics. Due to a lack of cows, additional points were allowed for other more common Tanzania things during the trip. By the end of the drive, most of the bus was involved in the game ... an excellent way to pass the time on a road trip. We got back to Iringa just as the sun was setting.
Magome Day 3
,
Day 3 in Magome was a day for travel. We first traveled to Lutangilo - the secondary boarding school to where many of the Salem sponsored students attend class and live. The road to Lutangilo was incredible. We went over many mountains and through many valleys. The road quality varied from rocky and wide to rutted and barely wide enough for our bus. But, Peter, our excellent driver was able to handle it all. Even an old wooden bridge as seen in the picture to the right. Just so no one worries, we all walked across the bridge and then Peter drove the bus across by himself.
When we got to Lutangilo (above), we had a short ceremony with all the students, then met all of the Salem sponsored students as a group. We presented all the sponsored students with a Salem/Magome sweatshirt, a calculator, and a new notebook. They were all very greatful for the support of their sponsors as well as the gifts we brought. We then went out to the school's courtyard and took a group photo and individual pictures of each student. So, sponsors, don't forget get to harass the Grand Pooh-bah (Jack) for a picture of your student when we return (maybe give him a week, we have a lot of pictures). To everyone else: There are plenty of spaces still available for new students at Lutangilo and students wanting to attend at Magome. Talk to Jack or Judy or Kay or anyone else who went on the trip if you are interested in sponsoring a student.
After we met with the students, we took a short tour of the school and saw a classroom and the girls and boys dormitories (those who visited last time - the boys have a new dorm!). We finished with a visit to the headmaster's office. There we gave him some more notebooks and a variety of other school supplies - pencils, pens, colored pencils, markers, calculators, etc.. He was also very greatful for this donation.
After Lutangilo, we headed out, back across the treacherous bridge toward the Magome congregation's preaching point, called Ikelamo. The Magome congregation is spread out over a large area and the only mode of transportation for everyone is walking. Therefore, to allow more people to attend church on Sunday they have set up a preaching point where an evangelist runs the Sunday service. Both the main church and the preaching point have an evangelist. I believe the pastor visits the preaching point about once a month to perform the Sunday service, leaving the main church under the charge of that evangelist.
When we arrived at Ikelamo, we were again greated with much singing and dancing. We eventually made our way up to the church building at the preaching point where there was a small ceremony to welcome us. We then gave our gifts out as well. Just like before, w gave sweatshirts and t-shirts to the church elders, beanie babies and hand made dolls to the children, baseball hats to the adults and baby hats and blankets and two quilts to the evangelist for distribution as she saw fit. We then said goodbye and made our way back to Magome.
In Magome, J.R. and Dave and some of the Magome men continued their installation of the solar lights. Before dinner, some of the town's children came to the pastor's front yard to "play". For them, playing was singing and dancing. Sandy, Lori, and others joined in the playing and fun was had by all.
After dinner, we went up to the cook shack to thank the many cooking women for all of their hard work to serve us such wonderful meals. While we were there, we were given a brief instruction in basket weaving by the cook ladies. A basket that is about 6 inches across and 4 inches deep takes one woman about one day to weave. To show us how it was done, the ladies team wove a basket about 1 inch across and 1 inch deep in about an hour - Amazing! Sandy tried to weave some magic toward the end and the ladies were very patient teachers. Below is a picture of one of the expert weavers at work.
Day 3 in Magome was a day for travel. We first traveled to Lutangilo - the secondary boarding school to where many of the Salem sponsored students attend class and live. The road to Lutangilo was incredible. We went over many mountains and through many valleys. The road quality varied from rocky and wide to rutted and barely wide enough for our bus. But, Peter, our excellent driver was able to handle it all. Even an old wooden bridge as seen in the picture to the right. Just so no one worries, we all walked across the bridge and then Peter drove the bus across by himself.
When we got to Lutangilo (above), we had a short ceremony with all the students, then met all of the Salem sponsored students as a group. We presented all the sponsored students with a Salem/Magome sweatshirt, a calculator, and a new notebook. They were all very greatful for the support of their sponsors as well as the gifts we brought. We then went out to the school's courtyard and took a group photo and individual pictures of each student. So, sponsors, don't forget get to harass the Grand Pooh-bah (Jack) for a picture of your student when we return (maybe give him a week, we have a lot of pictures). To everyone else: There are plenty of spaces still available for new students at Lutangilo and students wanting to attend at Magome. Talk to Jack or Judy or Kay or anyone else who went on the trip if you are interested in sponsoring a student.
After we met with the students, we took a short tour of the school and saw a classroom and the girls and boys dormitories (those who visited last time - the boys have a new dorm!). We finished with a visit to the headmaster's office. There we gave him some more notebooks and a variety of other school supplies - pencils, pens, colored pencils, markers, calculators, etc.. He was also very greatful for this donation.
After Lutangilo, we headed out, back across the treacherous bridge toward the Magome congregation's preaching point, called Ikelamo. The Magome congregation is spread out over a large area and the only mode of transportation for everyone is walking. Therefore, to allow more people to attend church on Sunday they have set up a preaching point where an evangelist runs the Sunday service. Both the main church and the preaching point have an evangelist. I believe the pastor visits the preaching point about once a month to perform the Sunday service, leaving the main church under the charge of that evangelist.
When we arrived at Ikelamo, we were again greated with much singing and dancing. We eventually made our way up to the church building at the preaching point where there was a small ceremony to welcome us. We then gave our gifts out as well. Just like before, w gave sweatshirts and t-shirts to the church elders, beanie babies and hand made dolls to the children, baseball hats to the adults and baby hats and blankets and two quilts to the evangelist for distribution as she saw fit. We then said goodbye and made our way back to Magome.
In Magome, J.R. and Dave and some of the Magome men continued their installation of the solar lights. Before dinner, some of the town's children came to the pastor's front yard to "play". For them, playing was singing and dancing. Sandy, Lori, and others joined in the playing and fun was had by all.After dinner, we went up to the cook shack to thank the many cooking women for all of their hard work to serve us such wonderful meals. While we were there, we were given a brief instruction in basket weaving by the cook ladies. A basket that is about 6 inches across and 4 inches deep takes one woman about one day to weave. To show us how it was done, the ladies team wove a basket about 1 inch across and 1 inch deep in about an hour - Amazing! Sandy tried to weave some magic toward the end and the ladies were very patient teachers. Below is a picture of one of the expert weavers at work.
Back from Safari
We are back from Safari. Another wonderful Tanzanian experience! Everyone is a little dusty, but otherwise in good health. More on our safari later. First, time to catch up. I believe I left us still in Magome...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Gifts! Gifts! Gifts!
I mentioned that we were presented with gifts on our arrival to Magome and then again at the Sunday service. We received another gift at Magome's preaching point. Of course, we gave gifts as well. During the Sunday service, we gave each church elders a t-shirt or sweatshirt. Then we gave two of the hand made quilts to the pastor to distribute along with most
of the knitted child hats, baby hats and baby blankets. Whoever worked on those, your hard work was very much appreciated! We distributed most of the hand made dolls, beanie babies and red balls on Sunday to the children and most of the baseball hats to the adult parishioners.
We saved two quilts, and about 1/3 of all the rest of the items and took them to Magome's preaching point - which we went to on Monday. They were appreciated there as well. A picture of us distributing hats at the preaching point is below.
Our final gift to the pastor and the parish was a series of solar lights. J.R. and David installed a set of three small solar lights in Pastor Peter's living room (where we ate all our meals) before the Sunday night meal. Everyone was very impressed - no need for a kerosene lamp to see by.
On Monday, we installed four solar powered spot lights in the church to light up the altar for evening service or meetings. On the four light, we installed a switch, so they could turn them on and off - that way the lights don't shine all night long and make people think they are missing an event. We took the other small lights and installed one set in Pastor Peter's office so he might be able to do some night work, another set went outside his office in the gathering space. The final set of small lights went back into Pastor Peter's office to light the hallway, the backyard and his bedroom. The bedroom one had a switch. It was a lot of work, but J.R. and David had a lot of local help. The trickiest part of the whole operation was mounting the solar panels on top of the church. J.R. climbed up on the roof using a home made ladder and crawled across the tin roof to get to the peak. Below is a picture of J.R. at work on top of the church.
Lastly, we donated a variety of medical supplies to the village. Before donating the supplied, Sandy held two short first aid classes with Lori's help - one at night under the lights in the church. After both classes, Sandy, Shirley and Mary Lou set up a dispensary with all the medical supplies in an open room next to the pastor's office.
More later - off to the orphanage...
of the knitted child hats, baby hats and baby blankets. Whoever worked on those, your hard work was very much appreciated! We distributed most of the hand made dolls, beanie babies and red balls on Sunday to the children and most of the baseball hats to the adult parishioners.We saved two quilts, and about 1/3 of all the rest of the items and took them to Magome's preaching point - which we went to on Monday. They were appreciated there as well. A picture of us distributing hats at the preaching point is below.
Our final gift to the pastor and the parish was a series of solar lights. J.R. and David installed a set of three small solar lights in Pastor Peter's living room (where we ate all our meals) before the Sunday night meal. Everyone was very impressed - no need for a kerosene lamp to see by.
On Monday, we installed four solar powered spot lights in the church to light up the altar for evening service or meetings. On the four light, we installed a switch, so they could turn them on and off - that way the lights don't shine all night long and make people think they are missing an event. We took the other small lights and installed one set in Pastor Peter's office so he might be able to do some night work, another set went outside his office in the gathering space. The final set of small lights went back into Pastor Peter's office to light the hallway, the backyard and his bedroom. The bedroom one had a switch. It was a lot of work, but J.R. and David had a lot of local help. The trickiest part of the whole operation was mounting the solar panels on top of the church. J.R. climbed up on the roof using a home made ladder and crawled across the tin roof to get to the peak. Below is a picture of J.R. at work on top of the church.
Lastly, we donated a variety of medical supplies to the village. Before donating the supplied, Sandy held two short first aid classes with Lori's help - one at night under the lights in the church. After both classes, Sandy, Shirley and Mary Lou set up a dispensary with all the medical supplies in an open room next to the pastor's office.
More later - off to the orphanage...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Magome Day 2
Our first full day in Magome was Sunday. We woke up, had breakfast and the headed off to church. Church starts at 10:00. That means, people start showing up around 10:00 and the pastor rings the "bell" about 10:15 and then service starts about 10:30. With the addition of the welcoming ceremony, we were in church until about 2:00. It may sound like a long time, but it went by quickly - there Sunday service has a lot of singing. Below is a picture taken from our seats during the service - some people dancing in the aisles, others singing and clapping along. 
After a relatively quick lunch, we hiked up a steep hill - at least we thought it was - to the primary school. Since all the kids of Magome hike up that hill every day to go to school, no one from Magome thought the hill was that bad. At the school, they had a football (soccer) game between Magome and a nearby village. I think all of us were expecting kids 8-12 to play, but it was high schoolers or a little older that played. They had been holding off on the game until the special guests from Minnesota arrived. So, after we arrived and Jack gave a quick talk to the players, the game started. Below is a picture of some action from the game.
It was a hard struggle with much cheering. We taught some folks "Lets go Magome! Lets go!". Unfortunately, Magome lost 1-0.
After a relatively quick lunch, we hiked up a steep hill - at least we thought it was - to the primary school. Since all the kids of Magome hike up that hill every day to go to school, no one from Magome thought the hill was that bad. At the school, they had a football (soccer) game between Magome and a nearby village. I think all of us were expecting kids 8-12 to play, but it was high schoolers or a little older that played. They had been holding off on the game until the special guests from Minnesota arrived. So, after we arrived and Jack gave a quick talk to the players, the game started. Below is a picture of some action from the game.
It was a hard struggle with much cheering. We taught some folks "Lets go Magome! Lets go!". Unfortunately, Magome lost 1-0.
Welcome to Magome
As I mentioned earlier, we were greeted like royalty. The town is long and thin along the top ridge of a mountain, so as we drove in one side of town excited people, cheering, singing, waving began to follow our bus. When we got to the church, everyone gathered into a circle and started singing and cheering - this kept going for a long time. Eventually, some of us started getting into the act. Here is a picture of Kay and Sandy dancing with the women of Magome.
After the dancing and singing outside the church, we moved into the church and had a welcoming service. We were welcomed and presented with gifts. The planned service was longer, but was shortened due to darkness.
The next day was Sunday and we all went to church together. We were put in a place of honor in front of the church, next to the altar. Before the official church service started, we were again greeted and offered another gift - a basket. We were all excited, but Sandy was ecstatic. Below is a picture of us all on the alter after having been given our baskets. Notice Jack's special outfit with the wrap and turban.
After the dancing and singing outside the church, we moved into the church and had a welcoming service. We were welcomed and presented with gifts. The planned service was longer, but was shortened due to darkness.The next day was Sunday and we all went to church together. We were put in a place of honor in front of the church, next to the altar. Before the official church service started, we were again greeted and offered another gift - a basket. We were all excited, but Sandy was ecstatic. Below is a picture of us all on the alter after having been given our baskets. Notice Jack's special outfit with the wrap and turban.
The Road to Magome
The road to Magome was a rough one. We left pavement soon after we left Iringa and got onto a dirt road only slightly bumpier than a dirt road up north. However, we soon turned off this "main" road and took the slow road to Magome. We quickly learned to ignore the road and instead stare at the beautiful mountainous scenery along the way. I never knew Africa could have such wonderful mountains.Above is a picture of the road, right before we got to Magome.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
We're Back
We have returned from our trip to the village of Magome. Everything was wonderful and everyone is feeling great. We arrived in Magome to a Emperor's welcome. As we drove to the church, everyone we passed, especially the children, would run along the bus yelling and singing. At the church, there was singing, dancing, cheering that went on for a long time. Finally, we went into the church and had the official welcoming ceremony. Due to a minor issue with the bus, which required we switch buses, we had a delayed start in heading out to Magome. Therefore, the welcoming ceremony was held in the church by the light of a kerosene lamp.
We were all presented with gifts, the ladies got kangas (skirts and wraps) and the men got shirts. Jack was then presented with a special wrap, a turbine, a stool and a spear and was made an honorable member of the village elders. They told him that this honor was not only for Magome but also for when he returned to Salem. Look out Salem members! We have nicknamed him the Grand Pooh-bah
More stories later - and pictures. This internet cafe can't upload pictures. We are off to meet the bishop of the Iringa diocese today at 10:00 and I don't want to keep him waiting. Just wanted to let everyone know we are back and all in good health and have felt very blessed to have has such a wonderful visit to Magome.
We were all presented with gifts, the ladies got kangas (skirts and wraps) and the men got shirts. Jack was then presented with a special wrap, a turbine, a stool and a spear and was made an honorable member of the village elders. They told him that this honor was not only for Magome but also for when he returned to Salem. Look out Salem members! We have nicknamed him the Grand Pooh-bah
More stories later - and pictures. This internet cafe can't upload pictures. We are off to meet the bishop of the Iringa diocese today at 10:00 and I don't want to keep him waiting. Just wanted to let everyone know we are back and all in good health and have felt very blessed to have has such a wonderful visit to Magome.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Onward to Magome
Today we are going to make a quick stop at the large market in Iringa to buy some school supplies, soccer balls, and other fun things for the kids. Thank you to everyone who donated money for those things.After a the market, we will begin our journey to Magome. It is not that far away, but the trip will take about three hours since the roads are not in good condition - no main truck thoroughfare on this leg of the trip.
Above is a picture of J.R. getting on our bus. Must be time for me to go - I don't want to miss the trip.
No posts for the next couple of days - no internet (or electricity) in Magome.
Travelling to Iringa
We spent the 11th driving between Dar es Salaam and Iringa. I was worried that the approximately 8 hour drive was going to be a little dull, but that was not the case. The scenery between Dar and Iringa is beautiful!
The road between Dar and Iringa is the major road for truck transportation to Malawi (land locked country west of Tanzania), so it has a lot of truck traffic and is relatively well maintained. As we drove, we saw many a road side market selling a wonderful assortment of tomatoes, potatoes, onions, etc. A picture of one of the markets is above.
Along the way, we took a rest stop and got a Coke and some fresh cashews at a small town called Chalinze. It was a wonderful little stop with a small roadside market selling carvings and other hand made items. Don't worry, no one bought anything. Also along the road, we saw people selling an amazing assortment of hand woven rugs and baskets. We had to hold Sandy in the van, or we may have filled it with baskets.
After Chalinze, we drove through Mikumi National Park. Without leaving the main road, we saw numerous gazelles, baboons, giraffe, and elephants. A picture of some of the elephants is below.
After the Mikumi National Park we drove up into the mountains. Beautiful hilly terrain. We drove through one valley that was filled with Boabob trees - they look like they are upside down, roots in the air. We also saw a cactus like tree that we named a Candelabra tree. No idea what it is really called.
We arrived in Iringa a little before sunset and were able to take a quick walk through town before the sun went below the horizon and the town got pretty dark. Below is a picture of where we stayed at the Iringa Lutheran Centre.
We're here!!
We arrived in Africa safe and sound! We had one small stress moment when someone (no names here) left their carry-on at security in Minneapolis. We figured out that there was a missing carry-on as we were waiting to board our first flight, returned to security, and there it was waiting for us. No travel problems after that - other than stiff legs and tired bodies.
We arrived in Dar es Salaam on the 10th where we were met by Edgar - the same driver the group had two years ago when they came to Tanzania. He drove us to our accommodations for the night which was a hotel owned by the Pentecostal Free Church of Tanzania. It was a very nice place with a view of the Indian Ocean. Above is a picture of our group on the morning of the 11th - before we loaded the bus for the trip to Iringa.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Our tentative schedule
For those of you wondering where we will be on what day, here is our tentative schedule:
July 9 - Depart Minneapolis
July 10 - Arrive Dar es Salaam, spend night in Dar es Salaam
July 11 - Drive to Iringa, spend night in Iringa
July 12 - Drive to Magome, spend night in Magome
July 13 - All day in Magome, spend night in Magome
July 14 - All day in Magome, spend night in Magome
July 15 - Most of day in Magome, back to Iringa in evening, spend night in Iringa
July 16 - All day in Iringa, spend night in Iringa
July 17 - All day in Iringa, spend night in Iringa
July 18 - Drive to Ruaha National Park, safari
July 19 - On safari
July 20 - Drive from Ruaha National Park back to Iringa
July 21 - Travel to resort/hotel near Dar es Salaam
July 22 - Spend day in & around Dar es Salaam, begin flight home
July 23 - Arrive back in Minneapolis
July 9 - Depart Minneapolis
July 10 - Arrive Dar es Salaam, spend night in Dar es Salaam
July 11 - Drive to Iringa, spend night in Iringa
July 12 - Drive to Magome, spend night in Magome
July 13 - All day in Magome, spend night in Magome
July 14 - All day in Magome, spend night in Magome
July 15 - Most of day in Magome, back to Iringa in evening, spend night in Iringa
July 16 - All day in Iringa, spend night in Iringa
July 17 - All day in Iringa, spend night in Iringa
July 18 - Drive to Ruaha National Park, safari
July 19 - On safari
July 20 - Drive from Ruaha National Park back to Iringa
July 21 - Travel to resort/hotel near Dar es Salaam
July 22 - Spend day in & around Dar es Salaam, begin flight home
July 23 - Arrive back in Minneapolis
Packing
This evening all of us travelers and few other kinds soles gathered in the Jack and Judy's back yard to pack all of our group belongings. In other words, all of the stuff the so many people have been kind enough to donate for us to take as gifts to the people of Magome and various other groups around Iringa. Thank you for all of your donations!
The good news is that with a lot of scrunching things down to force the air out, some clever packing, and a little good luck, we were able to pack all of it (see the picture from my previous post) into 10 pieces of luggage. We are limited to a weight of 50 pounds per bag and every one of the bags is within 2-3 pounds of the limit.
Everyone was in good spirits and is very excited for our trip. I'm sure tomorrow will fly by as we run our final errands before we leave on Wednesday morning.
The good news is that with a lot of scrunching things down to force the air out, some clever packing, and a little good luck, we were able to pack all of it (see the picture from my previous post) into 10 pieces of luggage. We are limited to a weight of 50 pounds per bag and every one of the bags is within 2-3 pounds of the limit.
Everyone was in good spirits and is very excited for our trip. I'm sure tomorrow will fly by as we run our final errands before we leave on Wednesday morning.
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