I am alive!

Hujambo!  (Swahili for hello).

I made it to Tanzania in one piece!  The traveling from the United States to Africa was quite long, but worth the trip.  I had never traveled for such an extensive period of time before, and was worried the 24+ travel time would be too much for me.  However, I made it through and actually found the travel to be quite enjoyable.  On the first flight I even met a woman who was a professional dog show judge!  Upon arriving in Dar Es Salaam, I immediately felt a feeling of relief, excitement, and the jitters.  On the one hand, the countless hours of flight were over, however I was now in a totally foreign and new country.  I wondered how easy it would be to obtain clean water, If I was gonna get sick (or how quickly it would take me rather than if), would I be able to handle the coming weeks, etc.  Above all though, I was overcome with a feeling of excitement amidst the hot, muggy air of Dar es Salaam. 

So far we have stayed in a resort called the White Sands Hotel.  The resort is very nice with beach side rooms, restaurant, giftshop, and a pool.  Our group has greatly enjoyed staying here, however as Dr. Suresh and Farris have made clear, we are not to expect these kind of conditions for long. 

Today we visited Mbudya Island, where we learned the difference between the sands at the resort and on Mbudya Island.  The sands at the resort are made from quartz.  The sands on Mbudya Island are made from dead biological material (corals, etc.).  While both beaches appeared to be the same, it is important to remember that looks can be deceiving.  On the island the locals caught fish for us and cooked them right on the spot and it was delicious!  After lunch we got to snorkel for a bit, however the water was deep and a bit murky to see anything.  The rest of the day we relaxed, ate dinner, and prepared to leave in the morning. 

I hope to continue to have enjoyable experiences while traveling here in Africa, even if they may not be as luxurious as they are currently.