Arusha: Forest for the Trees

So one of the things about the way we are travelling is that there is always something to worry about. Be it your next flight, a place to stay, the realtive safty of your next stop, avoiding touts etc. there is always something. You can become a bit of a chess player, always thinking two or three moves ahead. The problem is that you can get caught up in the moves and miss the forrest for the trees.A good example would be Monday.

Monday was a long day. Our flight from Cairo was delayed 3 hours, so instead of arriving in Dar es Salaam at 5:30 am, we got in closer to 9:00 am. Customs was a bit of a nightmare. The visa fees were to be paid in US dollars (which we knew), but only dollars issued after 2001 (which we didn't know) of which we had none. Some quick talking, a trip to the ATM and currenct exchange booth sorted that out, but by then there was no chance of making the bus to Arusha (it's a +/- 10 hr. drive, and buses here don't drive at night - too dagerous). We had to decide between a taxi into Dar, hotel overnight then bus the next morning or a direct (expensive) flight directly to Arusha. Enter Mr. Kennedy, a travel agent/entrepeneur with the answer. Sure enough, there was a flight that was just about to leave and for 450,000 shillings he could get us on the plane. So wad of cash (450,000 schillings is quite a handful), and a frantic taxi ride to the domestic terminal (I use the term terminal loosely) later, we're on a 12 person propeller plane on our way to Arusha.

Mt. Kilimanjaro from the plane

I hope that none of this sounds bad, or that I'm complaining.. Everything worked out fine and it really wasn't even that much of a hassle, but as you can imagine, I was constantly trying to figure all the angles and get it right. Not so much worried as focused, a little on edge, anxious. But then, about halfway through the uncomfortable, loud flight, I looked up from my guidebook where I was trying to figure out where we would stay that night,and how we would get there, and there it was - Kilimanjaro. It literally took our breath away. Its snow capped peak towered over the clouds (the picture does not do it justice). That's when it hit me, we're here, we're actually here, that's the Serengeti beneath me, I'm going to see Lions and bloody Giraffes in a couple of days - Giraffes! The boy in me wanted to jump up and down and the man in me wanted to thank whatever cosmic coincidence that allows me to be here. That is what most days are like. Lots and lots of trees then BAM! you see the forrest in all its glory. For anyone wondering why we are doing this, that's the best answer I can come up with for now. Maybe I'll have something better in a couple of months.

Anyway, we're safe in Arusha now and all is well. Tim arrives tonight and Aileen arrives tomorrow, then on to the Safari and the bloody giraffes.


Hakuna Matata,
Michael

Arusha, Tanzania