Get back to work!!

I said kwaheri (good bye) to my friend Mark after an awesome 2 week vacation. It was my first real vacation I have had since I got here so I lived like a vacationer instead of a volunteer.

We spent the first day relaxing in Dar and eating at some of the better restaurants. We went to a place called the red onion for dinner and my meal actually came out on a sizzling platter. It was delicious.

We then went to Tanga for a night and then to the Peponi resort south of Tanga. Peponi is a little resort with a private beach on the indian ocean. There are palm trees, exotic flowers, monkeys, nice bandas (huts with beds and a bathroom), and its all right on the beach. We went out for a day on the Peponi's dhow for snorkeling and to relax on a sandbar about a mile off shore.

After peponi we went to the Amani nature reserve which is a high elevation rain forest about an hour west of Tanga. We stayed with a volunteer working at the reserve and he took us on a good hike. The reserve has incredible biodiversity. We also bought some chickens and made chicken burritos.

From there we went to my site in mafinga so Mark could see my house and experience the village life. We spent some time at my guard's house and Mark got to try the staple food, ugali. The next day another unfortunate chicken was the main ingredient in some foil dinners. Mmmm!

After the village we did a day safari at Ruaha national park. I took a ton of digital pictures so hopefully there will be some pictures available soon. My Dad will be getting a copy of all of them so it may be easier for him to set up a way for everyone to view them.

Well, its time to get back to work in the village. Talk to you soon.