So, I'm actually here!

It is kind of hard to believe. Yesterday I went to sleep and woke up in London. Today I go to sleep and wake up in Dar es Salaam. Goodness gracious, me oh my.

Dar is everything and nothing like I thought it would be- strange how that works out. The flight to Dar was uneventful. I had an exit row seat which makes everything better and I watched tons of movies again (and of course got no sleep). I finally fell asleep with four hours left in the plane trip and when I woke up two hours later, the sun was starting to rise and we were going over Serengeti National Park. It was absolutely beautiful. Amazing. As we approached Dar and we got closer to the ground, I got my first glimpse of what Tanzania actually looks like- the homes and other buildings, people walking, etc.

So I had a minor freak out again on the plane but not because I was nervous about the trip but because I was convinced that the pilot was going to land on a dirt runway. I would have bet money on that but at the last minute a small strip of pavement appeared. Since Dar is the largest city in Tanzania,I expected the airport to reflect the city's size. Nope. It doesn't. Though the people are very friendly, the airport is very very small (like the size of an American Regional Airport- for those living in Naples, a little bit larger than the Naples Airport) and rather old. I was nervous about going through customs (what else is new) but it was fine and both of my bags got here safely (another worry). I went outside the airport where I was supposed to meet my ride and initially didn't see anyone. But after walking through a lot of very eager taxi cab drivers, I found who I was looking for. I don't remember his name (i'm sad about this but not beating myselfup too much because I was functioning on very little sleep) but he was extremely helpful. He told me that the driver was on his way and to wait at the benches. About 30 minutes later, another gentleman whose name I forgot collected me and even carried both of my bags for me (seriously, a nice guy). We drove 30 minutes through Dar to get to the hostel. The city is a mix of old and new, poor and less poor, modern and not. There were dala-dala's everywhere crammed with people. PS- crammed in America is not the same as crammed in Dar. Think a bus no larger than a mini van with like 20 people in it. Its tight. There were women carrying baskets of fruit on their heads and men and women with bikes full of things to sell. Its really hard to describe other than its amazing.

When I got to the hostel, I was given a quick tour and then slept for about an hour when another nice gentleman (I admit, I'm horrible with names....) came to talk to me about Safari's and other tours that he runs for IFRE and another student volunteer program, Cross Cultural Solutions. I got a great price on a three day safari ($145 per day all inclusive- amazing!) and its going to go to all the places in the Northern Circut that I wanted to go to (Mom and Dad, all the places that that couple we had dinner with went to, I will also be going to). After setting that up, I took another nap, missed lunch and woke up to the sound of two young women. The two ladies, Alexis and Molly have just finished their volunteer time and are getting ready to leave on Sunday. Both were in Bagamoyo so I'm excited to talk with them more. Right now, I'm sitting in an internet cafe with Alexis (she is only going to be a sophomore in college, so Kristina you've got two years :) ).

I'm not too sure what tomorrow is going to bring but I think thats how it goes here. I got to learn to be a little more laid back and just go with the flow. Sunday morning we make the hour drive to Bagamoyo where I start my project.

Because I miss hugging the people I love, I want you, anyone who reads this blog, to go up to someone you love today and give them a hug and tell them you love them. Well, I guess we should do that everyday.

Until later, namaste!