I'm homesick

Am back in what's supposed to be "home" and my routine. But, I feel homesick when I'm thinking about Tanzania.

And can you really blame me for that? The people Ive met, and the experiences Ive had, how could they not make me feel at home?

Thinking back to my arrival in Ilula, the warm welcome I recieved, and the wonderful people I met. And I want to go back.

It doesn't always go as you plan

Thats one of the things my trip taught me.

My idea was to get into Iringa every now and then, to try to stay connected, but there were so many other things to do, so change of priorities kind of. (And a crap internet connection not worth to travel in an overcrowded dala dala for)

I came home yesterday, and am still trying to sort all the impressions from my journey. I've had moments of total happiness, fullfillment, grief, exhaustion, loneliness and so much more...

Where do I start to tell? The first night in Dar, the incredible bus journey through half of Tanzania, on spagetthi like roads, the warm welcome in the orphanage, the mother who died from her kids, the pre school, the teaching, the tears of joy and sorrow or Zanzibar?

I made it to Iringa eventually

But, its wasn't planned, so I didnt bring my usb with all my updates.

Anyhow, this place is mad! And I love it.

The orphans gave me the warmest of welcomes, and made me cry of joy.

Been out and about in different projects, such as HIV testing in remote villages, milking cows, playing twister and promoting education.
Tomorrow theres a wedding, and on sunday Im visiting a masai village.

More updates will follow.

Miss ya all

Hugs

I made it!

Or at least half of the way.

Am sitting here at the YMCA in Dar es Salaam, feeling a cool breeze from outside.
Now, it's only a bus ride between me and Ilula, yey, should be there by this time tomorrow.

Strangest things happen, yesterday at this time I was in London, ready to take off, and here I am now...

The flights has been totally hassle free. Rather comfy to be honest.
On the flight from London to Dubai, I had roughly 1000 movies to choose from. Was even handed out a menu in order to decide what to eat.
Arrived in Dubai early this morning, and had my connecting flight at 10.50.

Finally arrived in Dar es Salaam at 15.20.
Stepping off the plane, feeling the hot air and the sticky breeze made me feel like home. The heat, the smell, the buzz, the vibrant colours, the people and all the commotion made me feel like home at once.
Taxi driver Valencio stood there and waited for me, and after passing the bureau d'echange to get some shillings (675 000 to be exact) we got in to the taxi and took off towards the centre.
All the colourful taxis, people selling anything from apples to in liners, between the lanes, the overcrowded buses and dala dalas felt like a deja vu, so in place and normal somehow. The smell of smoke from the women cooking along the roads just threw me back to Ghana. I feel like I'm home.
Halfway to (my very basic accommodation) YMCA, Valencio looks at me and says "Can you give me baby?" No waisting time here huh? I politely refused his request, and started asking questions about different buildings we passed by.
After check in I decided to venture out and have a look around., came across a German couple Andrea and Daniel, and asked them if they knew a good place to eat.
They were going to red onion (up on a roof) and invited me to come along. Wonderful people, had a lovely evening talking to them and eating a nice hot red curry.

Just had a refreshing cold shower (my first in 48h) and have organised my packing for tmrw, and now as the minaret's has quieted down, I will tuck in to be prepared for whatever tomorrow might bring....

My route

This is where you can find me....

16/09 Taking Eurostar train leaving BRU 14:59 arrival London 15:56

21:15 Emirates flight from Gatwick, arriving in Dubai 17/09 07:10

17/09 Emirates flight from Dubai 10.50, arriving in Dar Es Salaam 15:20

I will spend the night at the YMCA, and next morning take the bus to Iringa.

On 14/10 I will take the buss from Iringa to Dar, spend one night at the http://www.sleepinnhoteltz.com/rates.html before taking the ferry over to Zanzibar.

23/10 I will fly from Zanzibar over to Dar, take emirates flight to Dubai leaving Dar 16:50 arriving in dubai 23:20
24/10 Emirates flight from Dubai 02:45 arriving Gatwick 07:20 then taking eurostar train 9132 from London 12:57 arriving in Brussels 16:03.

On Zanzibar I will be here 15-18 October http://dhowpalace-hotel.com/contact_us1.html
And here 18-23rd http://www.zanzibararabiannights.com/photo.htm

And now I'm all packed and ready to go (well, almost)

Torn(ado)

I feel like I have a tornado inside of me.
In 24h I'm taking off from London, and here I am, far from packed...

It's 15th September, and I am torn.
The excitement over my trip and this whole adventure is tumbling around inside of me, bubbling, fizzing, oozing and so much more.
Yet, I have a heavy heart.
It's dad's birthday, or it should've been, if he hadn't been taken away from me too soon. I wish he was here. I miss him everyday, but on a day like this, before my adventure, and his b-day, I miss him even more.

On a positive note, I have recieved many encouraging greetings, and kind words from people around me.
Thank you all for being so supportive in regards to my trip.

Confirmed

My phone was ringing and beeping at 7.30 this morning, a sunday morning!!
It was Tulia in Ilula wanting to confirm everything.

Everything needing booking has been booked, and taxi driver will meet me with a sign with my name on it :)

In less than 72h I will be on my way, feels unbelievalble, I need to pinch myself.

Packing process still in limbo, nothing much new there. Good thing is that I dont need to bring any sheets, towels and sleeping bag, that leaves a lot of space for other stuff.

Need to buy kleenex, a pad lock for my bag and bandaids before I go. Where did I put that list again? :)

My sister promised to email me some pictures from back home, so I can show the children what it looks like with a meter of snow, thank you sister! :)

And on friday I recieved a wonderful gift: a dynamo driven flash light, so no need to worry about batteries. ;)
This will come in handy as to quote Berit "electricity, water and phone connection comes and goes, we take it as it comes, one day at a time"

Now I need to sleep, will have a busy day tomorrow.

All pieces together...

All pieces are not quite yet together, but it's moving in the right direction...

Called Berit today, so nice to hear her happy voice, she's a true voice of inspiration!
Logistics seems to be in place, taxi driver Valencio will pick me up at the airport in Dar, and take me to the YMCA (Yes, I will be staying at the YMCA, so if you are going to laugh, please do it now), and on friday he will take me to the busstation.
I have been provided with instructions of where to get off the bus, and they are what one can call vague... "The bus will drive through 2 reserves, and up a mountain, count on 6-8h, then there will be a steep ascent, (you will notice that)and once you are up, there's another 10 min and you should get off." Wish me good luck on that one.

As for packing, I have gone from not worried at all to being obsessed with the thought of what to pack, how to pack and when.
At least I know that I wont be needing to bring sheets, sleeping bag, towels and such, so that's a few things less to think about.
Guess the essentials are med's (especially malaria med's), passport, workpermit, tickets and some cash, the rest can always be improvised.

One week -> 7 days to go...

And I haven't even thought about packing...

A couple of weeks ago, it felt like forever until it was time for me to depart, but now I'm beginning to wonder where did the time go?

Am reasonably prepared I think. Got all the essentials, such as passport, work permit, tickets and a some cash. The rest can always be improvised.

Have been reading up a bit, and it seems like the last leg of my journey (after touching 3 continents in one day) will be on a highway with speed bumps through a national park or two. Lets just keep the water drinking to a minimum to make sure no accidents happen ;)

It's hard to believe that its finally happening, after all this wait and preparation. Am feeling some sort of inner peace.Sure, it will be emotional turmoil, stress, feelings of helplessness, but that's what life is all about isn't it?

Work permit - done!

Yey!

Just back from the Tanzanian Embassy with my work permit neatly attached :)
Can't wait to go!!!

Panic!

In 35 days time, I've fastened my seat belt, and am ready for take-off!

How did that happen, where did the time go?

Am really excited, as I would love to be there already, but there's also a feeling of (so far mild) panic creeping up on me.My "to do list" is getting longer than my "done list", and OMG I need to to this and that and remember bla and fix bla is occupying my mind...

Paid a visit to the embassy today, to apply for my visa/work permit, need to get my passport back before I'm off to Poland next weekend.

The application itself was an easy peasy, straightforward task, entry date, exit date, passport nr, physical address, purpose of visit, name, date and sign.

An interesting addition to the whole thing is that the receptionist asked me to help her translate a document from Dutch to English. Her vocabulary was rather limited and the dictionary small. LOL, guess those are the things that makes you day.....

Other than that, I need to plan another visit to my doctor, for my last vaccines. I have started to stock up on anti malaria drugs, got my bag so I can pack, and the most important of it all, my pretty pink torch! :)

Countdown

Only 48 days to go!!!
That's nearly nothing isn't it?
La la lalalalalalaaaaa =D

Vaccine - check!

Got the ball rolling, made a few appointments with my doctor for all the vaccines I need before departure.
Last week I had a rabies shot, and I'm happy to announce that no frothy saliva occurred, and I do hope that's a good sign.
Yesterday it was time for typhoid and tetanus, not that great as I have big red swellings on my both arms...
Next week it's time for polio and hepatitis A & B. At least the hepatitis, rabies and typhoid are life long protection, so they are ticked off for good. I must admit it is nice to see my yellow book being filled up line by line with "protection".

No need to pick up the malaria tablets just yet, as I only need to start taking them the day before departure.

Emailed Berit 2 weeks ago, but still no news. Am not worried just yet, but have a feeling I will be soon. =/
I have realised that I actually do have quite many questions to ask her. - Practical as well as emotional.
What should I bring for the girls? Anything they need, that I can contribute with?
What should I bring for myself? Or not bring...
Are there other volunteers at the same time, or is it only me? Bus, hotel, taxi et.c....

Well well, I am sure it will be fine in the end.

In the middle of all this I have stumbled across a what I would refer to as a luxury problem; making the right choice for hotel on Zanzibar.
People who know me, also know how indecisive I can be at times, and how frustrating that can be.
Found something that felt like the perfect hotel, on the beach, with white sand and turquoise water outside the window. - Ah, such a dream!
Then I was told the staff is unfriendly and hotel is generally over rated, was recommended another one, but not at the same location, and now I just do not know....

Need to get my neck around it, tomorrow must be decision time! GO FOR IT as one of my friends would say!

Time flies (too fast!)

My oh my....

Not quite sure how it happened, but its already July 19th.

Thinking I had loads and loads of time, I suddenly realised that I don't. - PANIC!


So much to do, in so little time.


Have booked appointments for my vaccinations and a general check up, but the most important is yet to be arranged. The visa/work permit!

Need to email Berit and the team in Ilula to obtain my invitation. And also to confirm my arrival times back to them.

I am so relieved that Tulia will take care of booking a taxi and a hotel for my arrival to DAR, and the bus ticket to Ilula.


I don't have enough words to describe my excitement over my trip! I walk around with a silly smile on my face, wanting to jump up and down and scream IIIIIIIK!!! :)

But....
Getting closer to departure I also have second thoughts; am I doing the right thing, or have I simply lost my mind? Can I really contribute to anything over there? What will it really be like, have I bitten off more than I can chew?
I know these girls doesn't have an easy life, and will I be able to help them, and cope with it?

Sure, there's only one way to find out, and that's exactly what I will do. Go there and find out!

I am embarking on a journey into something unknown, although it feels like I'm going home.
Africa is a continent I have fallen in love with, and going back to explore the eastern part is truly like going back home......

It's all booked!

Ok, not all of it, but at least all the logistics are ironed out. - Finally!

Am slowly becoming a sort of "google-queen", due to all research in regards to flights, routes, value for money and so on....
I realised that there are few, and costly options from Brussels. Ranging from 995€ to 1700€, and including 2-3 stopovers.
However, I was intrigued, but equally frightened by the Ethiopian Airline option. 375€ : BRU-London-Addis Abbeba-Nairobi-Dar Es Salaam, with an overnight in Addis. Great if you want to play the"stamp my passport in 5 countries" game, but otherwise, maybe not...

Flights from London are more frequent (read less expensive), and ranged from 450€ to 1900 €, and my choice fell on the Emirates option, one stop in Dubai, and thats it!

So, here are my logistic arrangements:
16/09 Train Brussels - London
16/09 Flight to Dar Es Salaam via Dubai
17/09 Arrival Dar -> Taxi to hotel

18/09 Bus to Ilula At some point coming back to Dar, and get over to Zanzibar.
23/10 Flight to London via Dubai
24/10 Arrival London
24/10 Train London Brussels

Next mission is to look over vaccinations, and arrange for work permit =D

The Swahili challenge

To make the most out of my experience, I decided to learn Swahili.
At least the basics, but preferably a little bit more....

However, finding material has been a challenge in itself. AND to find teachers, or people to practice with.
Been looking everywhere, asked, posted ads et.c, but no result.

One of my friends has been a great help, and her total lack of patience has really pushed me forward, but I still need more.
Another friend of mine has put me in contact with one of his friends, so hopefully that will pay off.

Time is passing rather quick for the moment, so I really need to get it going.

Wish me luck, I think I need it!

Getting organised - kind of

First thing to do, apart from calling my friends and scream of excitement, was to clarify when I could take my annual leave.

Many factors to consider, climate in Tanzania, peak season or not, co-workers annual leave, and time for preparations.

September/October felt right in all aspects, so a request for leave was sent in, and confirmed!(with a little bit of flexibility though, for juggling of flights)

In this stage I also made a mental note to myself that I needed to look up VISA, vaccinations, and all sorts of arrangements.

I was relieved when I recieved a mail from Tulia in Ilula, saying that once my dates are confirmed she would help me to arrange transport from the airport, accomodation in Dar, and book the bus ticket for me. A great help, that I really apreciate!

Next on my list was to convince Fiona to to teach me Swahili, wich she gladly accepted to do!

Luckily enough, Berit was just about to travel to Europe for some fundraising.

She suggested that we meet in Luxembourg, for a little chat, and getting to know each other.

We agreed on a Sunday, and I jumped on a morning train arriving in Luxebourg by lunch time. Berit and her lovely friend Margot picked me up at the station, and we all went back to Margot's home. Over a lunch I received a lot of useful information about the IOP (Ilula Orphan Programme) and we had a nice little chat.

The day was wrapped up with some sightseeing in the city, before I jumped on the train back home again.

I don't have words to describe the excitement, and happiness I felt while coming back to Brussels! With my little guidebook to volunteering, and knowing that my application was accepted, I was more floating on a fluffy cloud than anything else.

Now, I could start dealing with planning, practical and administrative issues et.c

Finally, I could sigh of relief...

First little steps

After sending my initial e-mail to Berit, she replied back to me, asking me a few questions.
She wanted to know if I had any previous experience with volunteering, or travel in developing countries, and if I speak Swahili. She also asked for my motivation, reasons to travel, and what I would want to do in Ilula.

I replied back, answering all her questions, filled out my application form and sent it back.

Step 1 was completed.

Now, waiting to find out wether I was accepted or not

*sigh*

Better late than never....

That's what I've always been told anyway....

I should have done this back in February, when it started to form into a real plan, but that didn't happen, so I guess there will be catching up to do as of now.

To take it all from the beginning:
Since Christmas 2008, I have nourished a thought of a major get a way, an escape from my real world, to discover something new.
Played with the idea of a beach holiday, back pack in Australia, discovering NYC and Washington DC, but nah, something was still missing, it didn't feel quite right.

I spent a weekend with a friend and as we watched a documentary about the witch children in Nigeria, and the work this organisation did to help them, I realised it.
I AM GOING TO VOLUNTEER!

I got in touch with some organisations, but Nigeria was way too dangerous.
And many organisations charge ridiculous fees for an assignment, so - rethink!

One of my colleagues has worked in Tanzania, so I asked her if she had any contacts, and she gave me Berit Skaare's name.
A short email with an instant reply and things started to happen.....