Return to Camp

Back in Tanga again for this blog post.

I had a wonderful rest of my holiday in Zanzibar. The rest of my time in Stone town included a tour of a community spice farm, a visit to the old slave market and a wander around the back streets to some local stalls. Quite a few people have bought Zanzibar and Tanzania football jerseys. After Stone Town we made a quick trip to the south of the island and swam with Dolphins! It was mega cool! Our last two days were spent at a beach hotel enjoying the sun and sea.

After returning to Camp we met the newest addition to our camp, Vicki. She's from England too so another ally against the Aussies! Work has been hard and demanding this week. We've all got lazy in Zanzibar and had a shock getting back to the hole.

Friday was a pleasant change. All people who are staying for 1 or 2 months got to spend a day with the mamas of the village and learn to cook! We learned to make Chipattis and Vichettis. Everyone had a cracking time.

Some people are heading home on Monday so this weekend is our farewell to them. Should be pretty top!

See you all next week.

Thank Goodness for Zanzibar Wifi!

So to begin with I was not planning to post an update today since I've gone across to Zanzibar for a brief holiday. However, thanks to so convinient hotel wifi I am able to make a post! Lucky lucky me!

Work carries on as expected. The toilet hole has been dug as deep as we can make it, measuring 7ft 6 Inches! The classroom floor has been concreted and the builder thinks it will be ready for the final smooth layer by the time we return to camp on Tuesday. All desks are repaired and in use. The head teacher has said how pleased she is with all the work we've got done in such a short time!

Last Sunday went by with me and a few other people going on a snorkelling trip to a tiny sand island off the coast. We swam amongst coral and sunbathed on the Island. I did sunbathing totally wrong and now have an uneven tan on my face... I am a sensible child!

Monday was unique because instead of working in the school we helped the local women of the village farm and harvest seaweed! We waded out at low tide to lay the lines and dodge the sea urchins (Footwear was a must!)

Wednesday was all going normally until all the staff from Camp Kenya turned up in the afternoon. The situation in Kenya has got even worse and the whole camp had to be pulled out! Texted home to make sure parents knew I was okay and had a bit of a restless night.

Thursday was supposed to be a half day until Eliphas announced it was a full day at lunchtime. He was not very popular for the afternoon. After running back to camp and having a brief shower we all crammed into a local cab and headed to Tanga. The cab was such an adventure! It was blasting music out so we were all deaf by the time we arrived into town. Money was withdrawn and supplies were bought. Next thing we knew we were back at camp (deaf again) and packing for our long trek on Friday.

The trek was mostly uneventful. The coach ride to Dar A Salam was the longest stretch and we all slept through it. The cab from the coach to the ferry was a total rip off. We had to pay way more than we should so we're in talks with the company for a refund. I was bursting for a toilet when we were passing through customs and the terminal had no toilet! Makes no sense. So the ferry was the most incredible relief and it was smooth sailing so no feeling ill for me! We booked into our hotel, met our local guide and had dinner in a nearby resteraunt.

Today has be tourist day. We did a morning tour of a community spice fields and got to try fresh fruits straight of the plant! They were so divine! The afternoon saw us explore Stone Town in Zanzibar which has so much history I was nicely satisfied. We've returned to the hotel before dinner which will be on a sunset pier on the harbour. It's gonna be fantastic! After dinner we're going to a local club to make the most of this brief holiday!

See you all next blog post!

Internet, Broken Camaras and Deep, Deep Holes

So i'm 11 days into my Tanzania trip now. It's already been an incredible time and I'm so glad I came out here! After being rescued from Kilimanjaro by Eliphas (Mr Happy) and Sammi the bus driver I met up with other people who are at the camp with me. There are 19 of us, mostly English and Australians but we also have 2 Dutch girls staying with us too. Pretty much everyone is here for a month and all the Aussies are here for 3.

After a day of rest in a nearby hotel we made the 7 hour voyage to the Camp where we are staying. On the way we experienced vendors coming up to the bus, trying to sell us trinkets through the windows! Once we arrived we met Eustace (Boss Man) who is the camp manager, had a quick orientation and then hit the hay.

Since Tanzania is a Muslim country we are awoken each morning to the prayers over loudspeaker. We have solid beds though so no sleeping on the floor!

This is the second visit to Tanga town, the nearby major town to the camp (internet cafes FTW!) and I've changed money both times. It's crazy how many Tanzanian Shillings (TSH) you get for Pounds & Dollars. I changed $100 Saturday 7th June and received 162,000 TSH!

Saturday also got me involved in a game of football with the villagers. I know, me playing football! Africa must be rubbing off on me. That night was drinking night which got everyone very merry! One of the guys (Simon) broke a couch!

We started work on Monday 9th. There are three project we are doing at one of the local schools: Repairing desks, replacing a classroom floor and building a new block of toilets. I've dabbled in all three and enjoyed them all.

Unfortunately for me on the first day of work I managed to spill my water bottle all over my camera! RIP Kodak, you were a splendid ally. I have now resorted to using my iPad's camera instead so don't worry everyone, I will still have pictures!

We're learning Swahili with Eliphas every Monday and Thursday (Swahili is actually called Kiswahili, who knew?) and we're learning songs as well to help remember stuff. They are super cathy and keep popping up at work.

Our hole that we've been digging for the toilet block has become really, really deep! We've hit the water table at approximately 7ft down. it's deeper than I am now! On Friday 13th the guys decided shirts were overrated and went without at work. Despite doom and gloom from the others no-one was sun burnt and our pasty whit skin is no longer so pasty! Sun cream was applied copiously all day!

I'm hoping to get to the internet cafe once a week, although next week we're all heading to Zanzibar for a few days so I might have to call a rain-check on that one.

Best wishes all and see you on the flipside!

Long flights are all done!

Currently sitting in Kilimanjaro international and awaiting this early morning to pass me by before I'm picked up!

There's football on a nearby TV. Greece vs Nigeria, I think.

Toast and Armadillo juice

Currently sitting in Gatwick departure lounge and enjoying some toast for second breakfast. The cafe I'm in right now has a special drink called armadillo juice that's filled with tropical fruits like mango and guava! It's wonderful for keeping me alert. 

I passed through check in and security with no event. Although, my hold luggage did have to go into oversized baggage which is an experience!

Here's hoping the rest of my journey is as smooth!

Up, up and away

It's finally here. I'm all packed, my boarding pass is printed off and my train tickets to Gatwick are ready and waiting. By this time tomorrow I will be on my flight into Kilimanjaro international airport to begin my adventure of a lifetime.

Butterflies in the stomach doesn't come close to how I'm feeling right now! It's going to be so strange being on my own for so much stuff. At the same time it's exhilarating and so glad I'm going to do it!

This blog will probably run weekly updates as and when I'm able to reach internet access out there. But I'll keep records of my adventures and each update will have lots of stories (I hope!)

See you on the flip-side!