Hurricane Immigration Hits Hanga

Easter Break is currently taking place and so it was smart of me to return this week. It has been a nice relaxed transition back into village life and work. The biggest obstacle I face now is immigration.

Immigration laws are stricter now since the president has enforced new regulations. Fr. Novatus, the procurer, is the man I have been working with this week to figure out my papers and visa. I let him know back in January that this would need to be taken care, but this is Africa and things usually are completed last-minute. I suppose my trip interfered some as well. He has a friend at the Songea immigration office and I hope he comes through for us. It would be such a big help to get the stamp placed in my passport and to not have to worry about this anymore.

If I cannot get an extension through the office in Songea I will have to leave the country. My current visa expires April 4th and so that means I will be hopping a bus and getting out soon. Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to this.

Once my visa is figured out I will be able to stay in Tanzania until my departure in May. I still have to contact the BVC to arrange my flights into and out of Europe, but that should not be very hard.

Two summers ago I worked at Camp Lincoln which is located on Lake Hubert in Nisswa, Minnesota. In addition to working at Camp Lincoln I was lucky enough to attend as a camper for many summers. Throughout my time I met many great friends from around the world. While working as a counselor I met friends Adam and Jamie who both live in the U.K. Both visited me while attending college at Saint John’s University before they went home.

In 2014, I swore I would visit them in the coming years and they promised to show me around Europe. I have been in contact with Adam for many months now and as my time in Africa draws to a close my time in Europe can be seen in the headlights. I look forward to a little Euro-trip and am glad to have some great company that will be along for the ride.

However, that is still to happen and even though I am totally a man who enjoys planning ahead I have learned that I must focus on the here-and-now. Main goal for today: Get immigration papers in order so Joseph isn’t imprisoned in a Sub-Saharan African prison. Wooop!

In fact, I was lucky to be travelling throughout March. I was told that a few immigration officers paid a visit to Hanga village while I was on Mt. Kilimanjaro. They met with all of the volunteers here and even issued fines to a few. I have learned it is best to say “I am just visiting” when asked what and why I am in Tanzania. If you say I am working at a secondary school as well as the nearby clinic they get pretty upset. I think this is because they fear you are coming and taking jobs from Tanzanians. In reality, we are just helping out, but they don’t see it in the same light.

Ricardo, who I mentioned in earlier posts, was still here and was lucky enough to just be in his room when confronted. He was able to play off the “I’m just visiting” excuse. However, for new volunteer Antonella, who just arrived a week or two ago, things were a little worse. She was seen working in the clinic and so she was issued a fine.

It’s too bad. It makes volunteers worried about helping out and working. Now, I understand immigration and it would be a whole different story if we were taking jobs from others, but we aren’t. If anything, we are just additional hands helping improve the village life.

I am glad to have dodged that bullet.

Christa and I were joking at dinner about how I may have to head to the border soon if things don’t work out in Songea. Just like Nelson Mandela, I, too, may have my very own Long Walk to Freedom.

Anyways, I will keep you updated as I tackle the immigration business this week.

I just mentioned the new volunteer from Italy, Antonella. Antonella arrived about two weeks ago and will stay in Hanga until April 15^th. It is not a very long stay, but it’s nice to have another volunteer around. She is 25 and is studying to be a nurse.

Once Easter Break is over, immigration is in the rearview mirror and things begin to pick back up I will reenter the school. Additionally, I will start working in the clinic while gardening again. I hope to begin this weekend if everything goes smoothly.

With the extra free time I have had I was able to take care of the mound of clothes that became dirty over this past month. All clean now. I have also been able to go on a few long walks through the village which is one of my favorite pastimes. It is a great way to greet and meet villagers and many of them have asked about my climb and love to see my summit photo on my phone (not sure if they love the phone or the photo more haha J).

I made my way over to Nocagugu the other day which was nice. I enjoy walking there and I thought I better say hi to Raphael before he begins to think I never made it back from Dar es Salaam. When I reach I am usually greeted by one of the monks who runs the formation house. They always congratulate me on my walk from Hanga as if I had just climbed to the top of the highest freestanding mountain on earth ;) (I thought that was a clever joke). Really, though. They think walking all that way is a major feat and I just do it because I like walking. They also have beer in storage for visitors and so whenever I make it out there I am always greeted with a beer. I may need water, but they think a beer for their visitor is better ha. Too funny.

Lately, the small guesthouse I reside in has been filled with Fr. Mugaga’s relatives. They visit every Easter. They are quite rowdy into the late hours of the night, but I suppose it becomes hard to control a family that is so large. I feel as if I meet a new member each day. I think they will be moving out this week.

I have begun reading The Zombie Room by R.D. Ronald. No, it’s not about zombies. It’s about three men who become good friends while in prison. Once released, they meet a woman who has been caught up in an operation that supplies women to men for money. The three friends from prison begin helping her and the others trapped in this terrible operation. The author jumps around a bit and so you have to make sure to pay attention, though, it is a good book.

Next, I have been thinking about reading a book on one of the U.S. presidents. If not, then a nonfiction book of some sort. Do any of you have suggestions?

Well, that is that. Just working my way back into daily life here. I think I will go for a long walk this afternoon. It rained yesterday, but today looks sunny and warm. I hope everyone’s March passed nicely and that your March Madness brackets turned out better than mine. Damn you, Michigan State. Way to be hot all the way up to the tournament and then let half of the country down in your first game. It hurts, I tell you. It hurts. I’ll actually be able to watch the games next year so hopefully that will help.

Happy April, friends. That Minnesota spring should be thawing you all out by now. Enjoy it and get outside.

Thanks for reading!

Summit Dreams

My trip that expanded across the entire country of Tanzania has finally come to an end. It was very fun as well as successful. I am currently on the Super Feo Bus heading back to Songea from Dar es Salaam. I have about 12 hours to go so I thought I would write this blog post from my phone and then post it once I get back to the monastery in Hanga village.

I'm guessing I will be posting this on Easter Sunday which means the time frame for my trip went as planned. I am happy too because it isn't the easiest thing to travel through Africa especially when using practically every form of transportation. Things went smoothly, though.

Alright, so you want to hear about my ascent and descent of the highest freestanding mountain on earth, right? Yes? No? Well, whether you want to or not it's going to be told. :)

Let's take it back to Wednesday, March 16th and go from there. On the 16th I left the Pugu Parish for the Dar es Salaam airport. Once I arrived I was able to check in and grab my ticket for my flight to Kilimanjaro. All I had was a stuffed ruck sack (hiking pack) and so I was happy to hear I didn't need to check my bag. I hate having to check such a small item.

My flight departed for Kilimanjaro International Airport at 21:15 (9:15PM). The flight was a quick one. It only took about an hour. Once I arrived a taxi driver from the guide company I was climbing with, TeamKilimanjaro, was waiting for me. He drove me to Arusha where my hostel, Outpost, was located. I checked in and settled in for the night.

I really enjoyed the hostel. The others I climbed with thought it was alright, but they weren't coming from the village either. I was on cloud nine with the nice shower, mattress, TV and of course toilet seat.

I have come to really enjoy following the U.S. and world news while over here so I had CNN on while in the room.

Thursday, March 17th came quickly and I woke to grab breakfast at the B&B. Afterwards, I made sure to check over my pack and the items I would need for the climb. The random other stuff I stuck in a bag and placed it in the hostels safe. I would grab it upon my return from the climb.

The night of the 17th was my pre-climb briefing with my chief guide whose name was Jackson. Jackson was extremely nice as well as knowledgeable about the climb. He broke down the week ahead and then ran through the equipment I brought. Another member of my group, Jey, was also at the meeting with me. In addition to the things I brought I rented a winter jacket (the summit is cold), two extra water bottles and hiking poles. My Dad asked if I would need poles back in January and I naively said no. So, here it is Dad, you were right. I did need them. They helped tremendously. Especially on the way down the mountain.

At this point I was set. However, I began to worry a bit. Jey and the rest of the members of my group had their day sack (hiking pack that they would carry) and then an extra massive duffle bag. I did not have the extra duffle bag. I looked at this extra stuff thinking "What the Hell, did you bring your microwave and refrigerator too?"

The extra stuff was mostly clothing and so I was alright. I guess I am a much better packer than most. I literally just had my warm clothes packed, water bottles, head lamp and sleeping bag.

The extra duffle bag that the others brought was to be carried by the porters. Porters are the men hired to carry a large load of gear up the mountain. For a week climb this is required. They bring the tents, food, water and the extra stuff the climbers brought. I believe the porters were happy to see I didn't have any extra luggage. The porters are machines, though. The amount of gear they carry up and down the mountain on top of their heads is insane.

Alright, so the briefing went well and afterwards I went to bed. In anticipation for my climb I didn't get a ton of sleep, but I managed some.

Friday, March 18th began bright and early with our team of porters and climbers arriving at 8:30AM to pick us up and take us to the mountain.

The 6 climbers that were in my group were Mike (56), Caroline (54), Sam (33), Jon (31), Jey (30) and me (23). I was the baby in the group by quite a few years. Mike and Caroline were husband and wife while Sam was Caroline's daughter. Mike, Caroline and Sam were from Scotland, but had lived in Dubai for over 20 years. Jon is a contractor who was formerly a soldier who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He is from Virginia and was a really nice and funny guy. Jey was born in Sri Lanka, but had lived most of his life in Toronto. He now is a software engineer in San Francisco.

Then...there was this goofy long haired volunteer from Minnesota.

That was the team. The porters (guys who carried the extra equipment), chef, assistant guides and chief guide made up the rest of the crew. All in all I would say we were a team of 26. Yeah, a lot, I know. I didn't expect there to be so many porters either. The big team did add to the wonderful experience, though.

So, we headed out to the mountain and arrived at Machame Gate around 11:00AM. We unloaded the gear, weighed it, signed our next-of-kin forms (yes, a number of people die while climbing Kilimanjaro each year), and signed the entry form. Then we were off.

This first day was spent trekking through the Kilimanjaro rain forest. Yeah, I was pretty much in the movie Tarzan - no big deal. :)

The path at this level was defined and easy to follow. We were rained on a bit which lead me to use a garbage bag to cover my ruck sack (I should have looked into a waterproof case back in the day), but I persevered. Do It Yourself is cooler, right? Ha.

The entire team made it to the first camp which sat at 3,000 meters (9,900 feet). The porters had camp set and dinner cooking when we arrived. A healthy climber meal consists of 50% carbs, 20% protein, 20% vegetable and 10% fat. In addition a small amount of sugar and a butt load of water is required. This diet helps fend off altitude sickness which is the main reason for people not being able to summit and the reason some die.

So, porridge and potatoes (we called them porridge and tatters) were a big part of our meals. Soup was also served. This allows for vegetables and water to be added to our diet. Meat and vegetables were served as sides as well. Overall, the food was very good. I enjoyed it. Though, the biggest problem with eating is that high altitudes mess with your appetite. There were some days where we would chow down and others where we struggled to eat enough.

The second day of climbing brought us through the hither vegetation zone. I think that is what Jackson told us it was called. The incline was steep and our breathes became deep. Our campsite for Day 2 was at 3,800 meters (12,500 feet).

During the climb we were not the only team on this route up Mt. Kilimanjaro. A few others were ascending the same as us. There was a group of Norwegian girls (we called them "The Norwegians) and being the youngest male in the group my team continuously gave me crap for speaking with them every once in awhile. Can't a guy get a break? :)

Next was a group of Germans (we called them "The Germans"). And finally there was the dreaded "A Team". Okay, so the A Team wasn't that bad, but they were quite obnoxious and so right off the bat Jon and I marked them as our rivals. They also were a massive group. 20 something climbers and even more porters. This rivalry was completely internal and a joke because they had no idea about the competition. The joke was fun to keep up, though, and it helped motivate us while climbing.

So, we pretty much had Kili Olympics going on. It was fun.

The third day, Sunday, March 20th, was a difficult day. The day was used to acclimate to high altitudes which would help us prevent altitude sickness later on in our climb. The climb was a long one and it brought us around to the other side of the mountain. For lunch we stopped at Lava Tower which sits at 4,600 meters (15,200 feet). Our guide told us that it was normal to have a headache and nausea at this point. These are two popular signs of altitude sickness. If these persist then you must descend, but we all began feeling better once we left Lava Tower and descended to our next campsite which was much lower, 3,900 meters (12,900 feet). So, that is what acclimatization looks like.

Jey, Jon and Sam left Lava Tower a bit earlier than Mike, Caroline and I and so we were split into two groups. Once my group started descending Lava Tower there was an accident. Caroline had slipped on a rock and rolled sideways which brought her to fall 4-5 feet onto a pile of rocks below. I witnessed the fall which was a terrible thing to see because you never want to see someone fall like that. We raced over to her and luckily nothing was broken. However, she had hurt her back and what she believed to be her lungs on the rocks.

At this point, Jackson, our chief guide, was with us and so he took good care of her. We began to descend very slowly and so I moved ahead with some porters so I could get to camp faster. Mike and Caroline showed up 2 hours later.

Caroline had to asses her injuries and decided to sleep on it and see how she felt in the morning. Additionally, each night our chief guide would track each of our heart rates and oxygen levels with a special device. He would then record them and clear us for another day of climbing. I don't believe this procedure is required, but it shows you how in tune Jackson was. I was happy he kept a close eye on each of us.

Each night from the beginning to the end were pretty cold. My Minnesota blood enjoyed the cooler temperatures and so I dealt better than most, but I did have to add layers each night to keep warm in my sleeping bag.

Additionally, while climbing to such high altitudes it is critical that one drinks water. Like, a lot of water. 4-6 liters is recommend. Once again, I was the guy who was without the cool camelback water tank in their pack so I used three water bottles. The water used was from the mountain and was cleaned by adding chlorine. It worked well too. I never got sick from drinking the water. However, even though I was without the camelback hydration tank I drank the most water. I slammed water like it was my day job. The last thing you want is to be dehydrated while at a high altitude. Drinking enough water helps fight off altitude sickness.

So now you have a good picture of this goofy Minnesota kid. Everyone else had there really expensive boots, clothing and packs while I showed up in a full-on Super Target outfit ha. Though, my pack was phenomenal and I made the clothing work.

Drinking so much water obviously makes you have to go a lot. Honestly, I am fairly certain I provided enough water for all of Kilimanjaro's vegetation to survive another year. Crystal clear, folks.

This also means going at night was a popular thing. It's never fun getting out of your warm sleeping bag, but it's needed. On Sunday night (Day 3) I got out and looked up at the sky. I have never seen a more beautiful sight. Not only could you see a wide range of stars, but the Milky Way was very distinguished and stood out directly over the towering and large Uhuru Peak (the summit). I wish I had a camera that could capture it, but it will just have to be something I get to keep in my own memory.

So, Day 4, Monday, March 21st, was upon us. On Day 4 we had to ascend up a large rock wall while bouldering and snuggling in close to each rock. The wall stood hundreds of feet up from the campsite. This actually turned out to be the most fun part of the climb. Sam, Jon, Jey and I enjoyed the experience.

Yes, that does mean Caroline elected to go down and seek medical attention. Along with her was Mike. Mike went down to support her like a good husband would. It was quite sad actually. I really enjoyed having Mike and Caroline a part of our team. Mike was hilarious and was always cracking jokes. Caroline was very kind and had a great attitude.

I do think it was a smart decision for them to descend at this point, though. Day 4 brought forth not only a massive wall climb, but then we had to transcend the desert like vegetation and multiple hills until we arrived at lunch. After lunch we still had a 3 hour climb to base camp. Base camp was our final campsite before the summit. Base camp sat at 4,700 meters (15,500 feet). I'll admit, during this climb I began to feel a bit breathless. It was very high and we all were tired.

At base camp I was allowed my own tent, though. Jey and Sam had singles and Jon and I were rooming together the previous nights. I didn't mind. It's just a part of camping and climbing. However, now that Caroline and Mike had gone down I was able to sleep in the extra tent left behind.

Jon's snoring didn't bother me so much anymore haha!

That night, Monday, we had dinner on base camp and Jackson came in and surprised us all with his plan. Being at base camp early, we all thought we would be allowed Tuesday to rest and acclimate and then summit on Wednesday. However, he thought it may be better to wake early on Tuesday and ascend to the summit during the day rather than on Tuesday night. This would also allow us two full days to descend back down the mountain.

So, after an unanimous vote, we decided to wake early and ascend on Day 5, Tuesday, March 22nd.

This turned out to be a fantastic decision. We all felt a bit sluggish and weak in the morning due to the high altitude and the anticipation of going to the summit, but doing it during the day allowed for us to see where we were going and warmer temperatures.

The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro is the only place in all of Africa where there is year-round snow. Well, in fact, it may be the only place where it snows at all. So it is a cold spot.

The summit day (Day 5) was difficult. The summit stands tall at 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) which means we are breathing 50% of the oxygen we normally do and have to climb 4,000 feet straight up the volcanic cone.

I began to get a headache during the climb which is a popular symptom of altitude sickness, but I made sure to alert Jackson who reassured me multiple times that I would be okay. Altitude sickness has the ability to cause the brain to swell or cause the lungs to fill with fluid. Both things that you really do not want to happen to you. He told me that altitude sickness usually is accompanied by multiple symptoms, though. Also, he told me to think positively. This is huge. Many people begin to focus on the negative and once that happens everything turns bad. So, I began to focus on positive things. I also kept repeating "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." This helped push me forward. Before he descended, Mike was always saying "this is probably the closest we will ever be to God so if you can't be religious now then when can you?" I'm a religious man all year round, but I thought that was a funny statement.

My team also helped. Jon kept telling each of us that we have to just keep moving, that no one is going to be left behind and that we are so close so we better get our butts up this dang mountain.

Once we reached the top of the crater/dome we were standing at Stella Point. One of the three peaks of Kilimanjaro. At this point we were very close to the glaciers. Wow, glaciers are massive. I mean, they are really really big. It's an amazing sight that I am very glad I was able to get a look at. It's very sad to think these glaciers won't be there in a few years.

While at Stella Point we had a quick lunch made up of oranges, hard boiled eggs, water and chipata (like a rolled pancake). This was to give us energy and some electrolytes. The biggest problem, though, was that we all were so exhausted and not in the mood to eat. The lack of oxygen getting to our brains didn't help either.

We forced the food down, though, and from where we sat we could see Uhuru Peak off in the distance. At this point we all committed to making it there. We could not stop now.

I was so unbelievably exhausted like the others were. Seriously, if I had laid down I don't know if I could have gotten back up. I have ran a marathon, triathlon and played many sports, but I have never been this beat and worn out. We inched toward the summit. As we came upon it we all were renewed with excitement and energy.

At the top of the highest freestanding mountain on earth,
Mt. Kilimanjaro

We had done it! We had made it to the summit of the highest freestanding mountain on earth at 19,341 feet. 

Mt. Everest stands at 29,029 feet. So higher, but it is still cool to be in the ballpark. If you don't think it's in the same ballpark then I suggest you go to 19,341 feet and then reconsider.  

At this extreme altitude Jackson told us we could only spend around 10 minutes there and then we must descend rapidly. We took our photos and looked out across the volcano's crater that erupted 500,000 years ago. I collected a rock from the top to keep as a souvenir. It looks as if it is made of lava so it is quite old. So, I had finally done it. I had been to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, looked upon the crater and beautiful glaciers and was lucky enough to be caught in a snow storm at the summit. Being the only place in Africa where it snows it is lucky to be snowed on at the top. Many people don't get that experience, but as we took photos the snow began to fall. It was nice to have a taste of that Minnesota winter! :)

At the top each climbing company brings treats. We enjoyed Pringles, chocolate and Red Bull. It was so great! Also, I am actually really happy they brought Red Bull. I don't drink energy drinks anymore, but I swear that Red Bull you see in my summit picture helped give me a boost of energy to get back to base camp before the weather and altitude's effects became worse.

We all descended quickly down the volcano's steep cone and made it back to base camp. Jey and Sam had hurt their left knee previously so they had to take it easy, but Jon and I were having a great time practically running down this massive volcano. The rock we were running on is called skree. It is very loose rock and you can sort of ski through it with your boots. A fun time!

Upon our return to base camp our porter team came out and congratulated us all on our accomplishment. It was super nice of them. As Sam said "it was a bit teary-eyed." We had just realized what we accomplished and were so happy!

Our team was very helpful and so fun to be with.

After the summit we had dinner and slept really well that night. The altitude was much lower than that of the summit so we felt very good once back at base camp.

In the morning we packed our camp up and began our descent. We descended to 3,100 meters (close to 10,000 feet). Once there we enjoyed our extra oxygen levels and the return of our appetite.

We slept that night and woke on Day 7, Thursday, March 24th and descended to Mweka Gate where we were awarded our Kili certificate. These certificates signify that we have completed the highest mountain in Africa which is one of the seven highest peaks on earth. We are now a part of the club that tries to summit all seven of the highest peaks. Only a few have done so.

I have been asked if I will attempt to climb Mt. Everest now. My goal and dream was to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro and that is what I did and I am very happy with that. I have never had much of a desire to go up Everest. Also, it is super expensive to climb as well as has a higher death rate. That doesn't really encourage me to go for it ha. On Kilimanjaro the guides bring oxygen tanks in case of serious altitude sickness. On Everest the oxygen tanks I believe are required because it surpasses an altitude where the oxygen levels are so low life cannot be sustained. I am sure some have made it without oxygen, but that's really crazy (even for me). 

Mt. Denali, in North America, is around 20,000 feet. That could be a new challenge. 

However, for now, Kilimanjaro will remain my number one mountain and I am very very happy with that.

Jackson did tell me, though, that he has known a number of people who have made it to the summit of Everest, but did not succeed in making it to the summit of Kilimanjaro. This is because Mt. Everest is a mountain range which helps acclimate one to the altitude. Mt. Kilimanjaro is a whole other beast. The guides tell you that everyone must respect the mountain. It's not as simple as it may seem and you cannot just run up it (which a lot of Everest people try and do only to fail).

Slow and steady wins the race. Uhuru Peak will wait for you.

So, there it is. My ascent and descent of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Two years ago I made it to the summit of the Drakensburg Mountains in South Africa on Easter. Last year I did the same with the Guadeloupe Mountains in Texas in March and now this year I have topped Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania  at the same time. Crazy! I wonder if next year will bring on another adventure into high altitudes.

On Thursday, Day 7, everyone had moved over to the Kibo Palace which is a much nicer hotel than Outpost. I didn't want to spend the extra money and I was very satisfied by the Outpost so I stayed. However, I did head over there to meet my team for drinks. We all celebrated our accomplishment which was fun.

We were reunited with Mike and Caroline as well. They congratulated us and spent the night with us talking about the experience. Unfortunately, Caroline had slipped again on the way down on Day 4 and ended up breaking her ankle. She was in good spirits at dinner, though, and both Mike and her have vowed to come back and climb Kilimanjaro.

On Friday I checked out of my room, ate some lunch with my new Kilimanjaro shirt on and then caught a taxi to the airport. My flight departed at 21:30 (9:30PM) and arrived an hour later in Dar es Salaam. There I spent a few hours at the airport. Then I caught another taxi to the Ubungo Bus Station. The taxi driver, Ali, was very nice and he even stayed with me until my bus left. That was helpful because it can be dangerous during the night.

That is where I am now. On the bus back to Songea where I will get a taxi to Hanga village later tonight (Saturday, March 26th). (Edit on Sunday, March 27th: Wow, the taxi back into Hanga village was rough. Ha, of course it started to downpour while driving on the dirt road. I made it back safely, though).

Phew, I think that covers just about everything. I hope it makes sense. I will explain everything much better in person when I get home. That will be better.

If you are interested in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro I would highly recommend TeamKilimanjaro. A phenomenal team of guys and they will help you all the way to the top.

If you have specific questions about the climb and you want to ask me you may do so through Facebook. If not and you think I am crazy for even thinking about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro that's fair too. Haha we all have our own interests. :)

Pictures will be posted soon. Still have to collect many from my friend's cameras.

A month and a half left until my trip to Europe. My focus has always been and will continue to be to enjoy every second in Africa and do all I can for the people here.

I have just returned to my little room in the village and I must say it is wonderful to be back. It is funny how such a small space can bring so much comfort. I finally can relax!

After unpacking, clearing a few spiders that have made my room theirs, finally applying some deodorant and arranging my dirty clothes for laundry I am settled. The Sisters who are in Hanga were very excited to see me after Easter mass this morning. Sister Leah told me that she was very happy I have returned and that all the sisters were excited to see their kaka (brother) again.

It’s good to be back.

Alright I have just written 8 pages of blog on my iPhone and my fingers are tired so it is time for me to go. The monastery has dropped the ball once again – they did not pay the internet bill. The school I teach at has which is lucky. I say this just so you all know that if I do not post it is because the internet is down. I also have to figure out my visa and immigration papers this week. That should be a joy. Wish me luck. Hopefully it goes smoother than it did in Zambia.

Mission accomplished.

*A quick shoutout to all the people who wished me luck on my climb. Sue Beck, I do remember you telling me to be careful last year and then Connor and I laughed it off. Just wanted you to know I remembered! Thank you!

Happy Easter, everyone!

- From Hanga, Tanzania

Thanks for reading!

Chasing Life (all the way up Mt. Kilimanjaro)

My March Madness bracket is complete and so that must mean the middle of March is upon us. I am currently at the Dar es Salaam International Airport preparing for my hour and a half flight to the northern part of Tanzania, Arusha. From there I will be picked up and driven to Outpost, the hostel I will be staying at before and after my climb. On Thursday I will walk around Arusha and then at night I will have a pre-climb briefing with the guide. 

On Friday, the group and I will start off for the mountain. I am unsure as of now how many will be in my group but I would guess a number of people will be climbing at this time of the year. 

Once we reach the mountain we will climb through the jungle base layer until we arrive at the first stop and then prepare for the night. Each day consists of climbing, resting and setting up a campsite. The ascent takes 5-6 days because of acclimating to the altitude and lack of oxygen. The goal is to summit on the morning of the 23rd under the light of a full moon. Then, we will descend and arrive back at the hostel on the 24th. 

I will make sure to describe and explain the climb in better detail once I have completed it. Though, some quick facts are:

• Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest freestanding mountain on earth. Standing at 19,341 feet (5,895 meters).

•The highest peak is called Uhuru Peak (Freedom Peak). 

• I will be climbing with a guide and a group of climbers and tourists.

• Kilimanjaro rises above the Serengeti and is home to a number of animals.

• Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano.

• There are multiple biomes a climber will pass through while climbing. This makes the climb a beautiful one.

• The glaciers atop the mountain are the only ones in all of Africa and have been there for thousands of years. It is the continents only year-round snow. However, unfortunately, due to climate change the glaciers are rapidly melting. Scientists believe they will be gone in 30 years.

• Mt. Kilimanjaro is nicknamed "The roof of Africa".

On the night of the 25th I will fly back to Dar and then take a taxi to Mbungo Bus Station where my bus to Songea will leave at 6:00AM. I hope to be back in Hanga for Easter.

I will attempt to post a blog on Saturday, March 26th but I may not be able to considering the long bus ride. If not, postings will resume on Wednesday, March 30th. 

By now Raphael is back in Songea. He took a bus back home on Tuesday.

All has gone well so far. Keep praying everything continues to go smoothly. 

The past few days I have passed some of my time by reading through a book titled Man for Himself. Erich Fromm, a psychoanalyst, is the author. 

A phrase that caught my attention and seemed to apply a bit to my climb was...

"Modern society, in spite of all the emphasis it puts upon happiness, individuality, and self-interest, has taught man to feel that not his happiness is the aim of life, but the fulfillment of his duty to work, or his success. Money, prestige and power have become his incentives and ends. He acts under the illusion that his actions benefit his self-interest, though he actually serves everything else but the interests of his real self" (Page 13).

As I move towards climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro I aim to fulfill one of my self-interests and goals which will bring happiness. Money, prestige, success and power may be important, but we should all chase more the things that will bring our life true joy. Chase your dreams and that which will benefit your real self.

Well, it's about time. I am very excited! A BIG thank you to my Mom and Dad for allowing me this wonderful opportunity. You can rest assured that I will make the most of it.

Chasing dreams. Chasing life.

Here I go! Wish me luck! Onward to Uhuru Peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro! :)

Thanks for reading!

Thou Mayest

My time in Dar is coming to an end and soon I will be off to the mountain. My time spent here has been nice (besides the bed bugs) and I am glad I took the chance to see the city. I think it is best to take full advantage of everything an experience has to offer. That way you get the most out of it. 

Sometimes I say that my blog will be a short one and then I go onto ramble for a number of pages. So, even though I feel this may be a short one it probably won't. I would like to discuss some of the book I just finished because of the points that were brought forward.

Then again, I do have to run into town and buy my bus ticket back to Songea for the 26th of March (planning ahead is vital when traveling in Africa) and so I don't have much time considering the station is across town.

So, the past few days have been relaxing. Two days I spent just reading and resting while Raphael went to his sisters. I have met his family already and so I decided to hang back this time. While relaxing I made sure to buy some Ubuyu. They are these little red candies that are natural and picked from a tree. They are extremely popular in Tanzania. They are also extremely good. 

Enjoying the Indian Ocean

Friday, as scheduled, we went to the beach. A nice time and Ricardo, the Italian that was in Hanga briefly, happened to show up. He came to Dar to fly back to Italy. It was nice seeing him again and being able to hang out. I treated my friends to ice cream afterwards and it was everything and more. Man, I love ice cream and it has been far too long since I have had it!

I have noticed that the Indian Ocean is quite warm. When you run into the Atlantic it will give you a bit of a shock. The Indian Ocean was nice and relaxing yesterday. 

On the way back to the bus stand from the beach I passed by a KFC. You probably wouldn't have guessed this, but KFC is one of the worlds largest fast-food chains. I mention KFC not because of its presence in Tanzania, but because of the state of the building. This KFC I passed was unbelievably nice. In all honesty, it probably was one of the nicest buildings I have seen in Africa. 

Ubuyu, a nice tasty treat

This is worth mentioning because of how out-of-place this is. The majority of Tanzanians live in slums and undeveloped poor housing and right next door is a beautiful KFC. I just don't understand. Why? How? Something in our world needs to change.

Today, I will go to the bus station and order my ticket. The next few days will be spent in town and at Raphael's sisters. Then, on Tuesday he will head home to Songea and Wednesday I will fly to Arusha, Tanzania (nearby Kilimanjaro). 

One thing I do want to discuss in this blog, though, is the book I just finished reading. East of Eden by John Steinbeck was a great book which some of you may have read. For those who have not I won't spoil it, but just mention a few pieces. 

It's sort of difficult to explain, but the book is situated around the Cain and Abel story of the bible. In the story of the two brothers, if you did not know, Cain kills Abel. It is this wrath and sin that brings out a strong message in the book. 

Here is a snip-it from the bible's passage:

And the Lord said unto Cain, "Why art thou wroth? And why is they countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."

*The Him at the end of the passage is sin. 

This stuff can be a bit confusing so bear with me. In the book the Hebrew word Timshel is used. This word is translated as "thou shalt" which we see in the above passage. We interpret this as a command. However, one of the characters in the book makes the point that it should not be interpreted this way. Instead we should interpret it as "thou mayest." 

I like this. This translation is much better and is what makes me want to write about it. The way I interpret "thou mayest" is that we should not let our sins destroy us. Thou mayest rule over sin. It's our choice that God has allowed us. I find this to be a very cool message. So many of us are constantly trampled down by our past sins and so many of us fear we are no good because of them. However, remember, thou mayest. You may rule over sin. All you have to do is choose to do so. 

As my favorite Christian music artist tobyMac says in one of his songs "it's never too late to get back up again, you may be knocked down but not out forever." "So get up, you gonna shine again." 

You the man, Toby. 

Furthermore, the book brings forth a similar message about perfection and its hold on us. We all want to be perfect (and thanks to Instagram we can filter our images so much that we just about can be). 

However, we aren't. We want it so bad that when we grow up and realize we are not perfect we begin to feel the exact opposite and we crumble. It's this massive disappointment that we too are burdened with sin (and just when we thought we may not be, shucks!) :)

No fear, though, my friends. This idea that we cannot be perfect makes us feel worthless and it should not. Just because you aren't perfect doesn't mean all you are is no good. That's just a goofy idea we all conjure in our head at one point. 

How is this a wind chill?

At one point a character states to the other "and now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." (page 585) I see this as:

Once we drop this idea of perfection that only brings us to rock bottom upon failing to reach it, once we relinquish ourselves from this burden, we can be what we are meant to be. We can be good.

Rather than jumping from the top (perfection) of the ladder to the bottom (worthless), just take it down a step, homie. The best we can be is good and so go on and be that. 

All of you 25+ year olds have probably had this figured out, however for all of you younger ones - take heed :) 

I guess I wanted to write about the book's messages because I feel they are a good reminder. Also, they are good lessons and I am all about learning as many of those as possible. 

So, that is that. I hope this last part wasn't too confusing. I know it may seem a bit off topic from what I am doing here in Africa, but I thought it may be good to write about. Though, I have no idea how well I communicated it to you. Hopefully well enough. 

I better get going. Enjoy your weekend! Be good! 

Timshel!

Thanks for reading!

Enjoying All Tanzania Has To Offer

Half of my two week stay in Dar has passed so it is on to my second stop - Fr. Francis in Pugu. I mentioned in previous blogs that I would like the visit my friend Fr. Francis, a Filipino monk who lived in Katibunga Zambia while I was there, during my stay in Dar. Fr. Francis has been assigned the director of the Pugu shrine and parish. It just so happens that Pugu is literally a ten minute walk from where I stay now. So, he has invited Raphael and I to stay at the guesthouse there. It is quite nice and it is great to see him again. It's good to have friends in high places ha. 

The move has come just in time too. I feel as if my bed at my first home-stay had bed bugs and so that was no fun. I must taste like an ice cream Sunday to them because I was covered in bites. It will be nice to be able to get cleaned up and healthy before Kilimanjaro.

However, Raphael and I plan to see and spend time with our friends Joyce, Halima and Samwell while still in Dar. The beach day on Friday is still scheduled. 

While on the topic of the beach, the amount of beach-goers that are able to swim are the minority. I would say 95% of the people at the beach are unable to swim and my friends are most definitely a part of this grouping. This leaves me and two other Tanzanians as the experienced swimmers. 

I made sure they had a floatation device the last time we went to the ocean and I will do the same on Friday. I am sure you can imagine that even with the flotation device they still cling to me. As a former lifeguard, this is the worst. It inhibits my ability to swim and therefore I make sure we stay in areas where I am able to stand. 

Raphael's sister

I also tried to explain the ocean's dangerous undertow which doesn't necessarily take swimmers underneath the surface, but can pull them out to sea. This they did not seem to understand and if they did they did not heed my advice to stay close. I made sure to pull them in multiple times, though. The other Tanzanians who could swim seemed to take a liking to the ladies which led them to swim nearby. This helped me keep an eye on them which was nice.

While at the beach my skin obviously becomes a little more red and my freckles stand out. My friends became alarmed and thought I had a problem. I had to explain what freckles were because they had never seen them before. All is well.

Every once in a while I forget that some things we have in America they may not have here. I asked my new friends if they were on Facebook. Halima looked at me and laughed and said "do you think this phone can access Facebook?" Good point. Some have smart phones, but most don't. 

My friends also call me Jose (Jos-ay). They love putting a vowel on the end of everything here. I don't mind Jose, at least it's not Joey.

Since I eat everything my friends eat they appreciate my willingness to try and eat what they do. They told me the white people they know only want American food. I don't mind so much. 

Something interesting about food is that when it comes time to put the food on the plate it tends to go from oldest to youngest. The youngest is last to be served. Guests also tend to go first. 

My biggest downfall is my ability to eat without spilling. Ha, I seem to always spill something. This is one reason I like utensils, but in Africa it is common to eat with your hands. I have done both, but when there are utensils around I use them.

It rained yesterday and so we ran out with our buckets to collect the rain water. We were able to use it as drinking water for dinner which was nice. It also saved us a trip to the well.

We visited another of Raphael's older sisters two days ago and in her yard were multiple palm trees. They brought out a coconut and helped me open it up, drink the water and eat it. It was fun and fresh coconut is really good. Now, if I am ever stranded on an island I will be able to eat the coconut!

Considering we have moved to the guesthouse, Clous, one of our neighbors in the village, offered to kill and cook one of his ducks for dinner. It was very good. It's funny, they meet me, we talk for a bit and then they say "we are now just like family." Very nice people. 

Enjoy some fresh coconut 

Raphael was speaking with me the other night and how he and the others want to go to America. This is a very common topic of conversation. I explain to them that not only is it expensive, but hard to enter. They brought up the idea of doing it the 'magic way'. I laughed and said "huh, what is the magic way?" They explained to me that some Africans (only Africans) can summon spirits to help them fly to other countries. I laughed again, but they didn't. They full-on believe this. Witchcraft is a very common belief, however I couldn't believe that my friend Raphael thought it was true. He said he saw a video of it once. I explained the video was edited for special effects. He said no and that I wouldn't know because I am not African. So be it. I don't believe people can fly, but what do I know, I'm only an American. Ha!

Something that I do believe can fly are airplanes and I love being able to see them in the sky over Dar. I haven't seen one single airplane in the sky while in the village this past year. Not one. So, it is great to see and hear them. I feel like I am a little bit closer to civilization because of them.

Not only do I hear the Muslims call to prayer in town, but on Friday nights the Catholics go to their little chapels and churches and pray all night. And they pray loudly. They scream and chant in order to cast out the devil (this is what I am told because it is in Swahili). It's great to pray, but do you have to do it at 1:00AM? Silent prayer sounds nice to me.

The temperature in Dar is about 15 degrees hotter than Songea. It is a hot box here. It only makes me more excited for the cool temperatures of the mountain. I like 70 degree temperatures, but 90 and above is too much for this guy. Just too hot. Soon I will be in cooler weather, though. 

Today will be a relaxing day for me. Just hanging out. I enjoy going into town, but with how long I spend on the bus to do so it is nice to have a break. I am nearing the end of East of Eden which is a phenomenal book. I will have finished it by the time of my next blog so I will talk about it then.

I hope your March is shaping up nicely. I cannot believe we are already approaching the middle of the month. 

Thanks for reading!

The new kid on the block

Dar-licious

If you have been keeping up with my blog then you know that I like to touch on as much as possible. Since this is the case, there are lots of things to mention now that I have been in Dar es Salaam for a number of days. However, to make things a bit easier on me I am going to structure this blog a bit differently. I will just list the topics I would like to mention because of how many there are.

I will also post a short blog on Wednesday and another possibly like this next Saturday. My friend Raphael has a tablet that allows for a WiFi hotspot so I have bought data for his phone to use. It lasts about 15-30 minutes, but it will allow me to post. On Wednesday the 16th I will be at the airport heading to Kilimanjaro (WOOOOOOO!!!!) and there should be WiFi available for me to post a short blog again. So, that is the plan. 

Joyce fetching water from the well

I have reached Dar safely. I have enjoyed my stay thus far. Dar is very large. More so in area rather than height. There are a few tall buildings, but the city contains multiple sections. I am staying just outside of town on a hilly piece of land. It's sort of like the boonies of Dar. I stay in a cement house that is newly developed and my room contains a bed and hole for a toilet (no toilet paper). I have learned that is all that is really needed, though. It's very simple. 

I'll admit, when I first arrived at the house the American in me started kicking and I began to feel a bit bummed about the state of the house. I quickly dropped this thought, though. To so many this house would be luxury. Being conscientious of your thoughts and the way you think is very important. If I had become stuck in this way of thought I not only would have been forgetting a large portion of what I have learned, but I would also have had a crappy two week stay in Dar. Now, who wants a lame and unhappy vacation? No one. Now, I am extremely happy with where I am at and if you keep on reading you will learn why. 

As for Dar, the closer you get to the center of town the nicer, more expensive and larger things become. The center contains buildings such as a very nice Holiday Inn, casino and the presidents White House. The outside of town is quite run down and poor. A load of vendors line the streets and busses fill the roads being the main way to commute. Dar has to be the world center for traffic jams. 

Below I mention bus companies and how nice they are. The companies that travel cross-country are, however the inter-city busses I am talking about above are most definitely not. Hmm...how can I describe them...let me see...

If there is a Hell than I am quite sure these busses are how people there commute. Jam-packed, hot, slow, mostly standing and traffic. I got sunburnt at the beach and my skin had practically peeled and healed by the time I got home. Slowwww.....

It's no wonder so many people here believe in God.

Anyways,

I will begin to list the main topics I would like to discuss now:

M-Pesa:

This is the process of transferring money. You can go to an M-Pesa stand and give them 70,000 Schilling and they will send a message to the person you want to transfer money too. That person will then go to an M-Pesa stand and take money from that stand. It reminds me of an advanced telegraph system. This is how I paid the house owners for my stay. I have paid for the houses electricity, water (no running water) and security. I haven't seen any security, but they say it's there. Whatever. 

Even though I have paid for all of this I also supply the food and transport costs. It is all fairly inexpensive, but its still money. Good thing we all like beans and rice. :) 

Night at Raphael's House in Songea:

Our bus (Theodore, Raphael, and me) left early on Monday so we spent the night at Raphael's house in Songea. They have three beds and gave me my own to sleep in which was nice. At night, though, cockroaches scurry under and around the room. This is common when in town. Bugs are just a part of life here. I could hear them running around. The gross things can go everywhere. Good thing the mosquito net blocks out more than just mosquitoes. 

Raphael's Mother:

Editha is a very nice woman. She only speak Swahili, though, so it can be hard to communicate. However, even though it's hard to communicate, she has taken a liking to me. She told Raphael "I wish he could be my son." Her words, not mine. That was nice to hear. She has checked in on Raphael and I multiple times since arriving in Dar.

Cross-country bus, Super-Feo

(Cross-Country) Bus Companies:

With the bus being the most popular form of transportation in Africa, the bus companies are fairly nice. The busses are like Greyhound ones in America. They also give you a pop on the long rides like the 14 hour one from Songea. The drivers are maniacs, though. They fly around corners and pass anyone and everyone. It's both good and bad. Even though they drive fast the traffic in Dar is so bad that it takes two hours just to get to the bus station once you enter the city. 

Njombe:

Njombe is one of the cities we passed through on the way to Dar. I enjoyed it for two reasons. It is located in a hilly area and therefore is cooler. The temperature was to my liking. Also, because of the cool temperatures, tea plantations can be seen for miles. The vendors sell packs of fresh tea at the bus station. We picked up some and it is great.

Mkumi National Park:

Coming to Dar from Songea the road passes through a national park. I saw baboon and antelope. Even though I didn't see much I still enjoyed it. So fun to see something other than deer. Ha! Also, I am a huge fan of savanna. These national parks are full of savannas and grassland. A beautiful scenery. 

Baobab Tree:

These are trees that we passed while traveling. It is a funny looking tree with a large base/trunk and scrawny looking branches. It is said that God became upset at the baobab tree and took it and flipped it upside down to punish it. That's a fairly accurate description. The tree is now protected in Tanzania. 

Backstreet Boys:

I read and listened to music for a large portion of my time on the bus. Long bus rides are perfect for some Backstreet Boys. If you don't like them then it's your loss. Great band and great music. Reminds me of so many car rides while growing up in Tennessee. 

Joyce and Samwell:

This is the couple Raphael and I stay with. They both are very nice. Raphael's brother is friends with Samwell and this is how we found this place to stay. Joyce (22) has one of the best personalities I have ever met. She is always happy. A very fun person to be around. Samwell (28) is a nice man and I believe the two of them are dating, but plan to marry. Not too sure. I have heard rumors they may separate too. What do I know, though. I just met them. 

One thing I do know is that Joyce is a machine and I mean that in a very good way. She is such a hard worker. I'll wake and find her scrubbing the cement floors in the morning, washing clothes, preparing food, and fetching water. These things are considered woman's work in Africa. I tried to explain that there is no such thing as woman's and man's work. There is just work. However, they don't understand that here. Samwell has no job so he just hangs out or goes to a friends. I don't understand how one would make his girlfriend or wife do so much when he does so little. Another interesting (but rather sad) aspect of African life. 

Additionally, in Africa, it is emasculating for a man to have no job and a woman to so it is common for women to have no work outside the house even when the man does not work. Many woman wish to work too so it is a sad thing to see. 

The way I see it - it's more masculine to not only help your wife with the work around the house, but to allow her the freedom to do as she wishes. I am no expert and maybe I am confused, but isn't the whole point of being together to help and support one another? 

Finally, in order to marry, a man must pay the woman's parents a certain agreed-upon amount of money. I just thought that was interesting to mention. 

Halima:

She is the neighbor that is more of a housemate than neighbor. Ha! She is always around. I don't know where her husband is so she hangs out with us. She is a nice lady. She has a good sense of humor. We will come across an older lady and she will say (in Swahili) "this is my husband from America!" and the other person will be in awe. I think it is funny. 

My Hair:

The flow, though

Joyce and Halima love my long hair. They think it is cool. The other day they asked if they could braid it. I didn't think it would work, but it did! Too funny. It is officially long and I am officially American-African.

Additionally, I went with Raphael to the barbershop. He wanted a haircut. While there the owner asked if I would pose in a picture with him pretending to cut my hair. I said yes (making sure the blade was far from my actual hair). He said he wants to blow the picture up and post it outside. The white man will bring business he thinks. 

Oh, and now I know why girls like when you play with their hair. It feels awesome. If ever I am wealthy I will give to the less fortunate and then grow my hair out and pay someone to just massage my scalp and hair. :) 

Indian Ocean - Coco Beach:

Considering Joyce doesn't get out much and doesn't have the money to travel I paid for her, Halima and Raphael to join me at the beach yesterday. Joyce was so excited because she had never been. A very fun and relaxing time spent at the ocean. We did the whole sha-bang, swam, took photos, collected shells, buried me in the sand, etc. I love the coast. The sight, feeling and smell of it all is so relaxing. We plan to go next Friday. When I said this they asked "Why Friday?" I told them "Friday is supposed to be fun, isn't it?". I think so. Also, maybe we will get ice cream afterwards. 

The Canadian:

I met an older man at the beach the other day. He saw me playing Frisbee. He joined in for some time. He was nice and he came from Vancouver, Canada. It was nice to speak to someone who speaks English. He told me he just finished working on a Netflix show called "The 100". I don't know the show, but I may have to check it out. 

The Headman:

Mr. Mkwabe is the appointed chief and headman of this section of Dar. You must check in with him before making any big changes or having visitors. Samwell brought me to the chief to alert him of my presence here. He was an older man who had retired from the military. He was kind and the talk was short. I have been approved to stay. 

Different Languages:

I wish I understood Swahili better and the friends I have made wish they understood English. Raphael does a lot of translating. He is really good about it and it helps so much. I will listen to a song and they will be confused by the words. The same goes for me and their music. Language is funny. 

However, I was at the store buying some water for me and Fanta for my friends (they love Fanta in Africa) and when I approached the check-out a European lady allowed me to go first and I automatically spoke in Swahili and then was like "ah, sorry, I meant thank you!" She laughed. The transformation is in process.

President:

Theodore, Raphael and I went into Posta which is the center of Dar. This is a nice area. The president, John Magufuli, lives near by and so we went to see his house. It's beautiful (as expected). There is a huge white wall surrounding it which makes it hard to view, but I snuck up and took a peak. The other day the motorcade of the president passed by the bus I was in. He was headed to the airport where his plane, AirTanzania, awaited. He motorcade brought traffic to a standstill for an hour. That was the one downfall. 

Phew, that is all I will write for now. I am writing on my phone so it takes a while. I am well and am enjoying. Theodore, friend from Germany who was staying elsewhere, has left for home. 

Center of Dar es Salaam

I will end by saying that the other day Raphael, Halima and I went to help Joyce fetch water from the well. She does this three times a day! It makes you think about how much water we use, waste and take for granted. 

I met many people while doing so and they loved speaking with me and I them. They told me I am the first white person to be seen around here. 

One mama (mother) gave me some tea as a gift for speaking with her children and helping. Getting to meet and help these people with their daily work is one of my favorite aspects of African life. Taking it all in and learning always.

*I just received very sad news of Br. Joseph Mpundu Mulenga's passing yesterday. I became close friends with Br. Joseph while in Katibunga, Zambia. He was involved in a car accident in Mpika. Rest in Peace, Br. Joseph.

- From Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Thanks for reading!